HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

Posted in Breads, Cake, Cookies, Desserts, Desserts, Sweets by sallybr

The date came and went (March 11th), but only now I have a chance to share a few things I made for the occasion. As you may know, most of the sweets I bake we don’t get to eat, but this series of bakes is the exception that confirms the rule. We got to savor all the sweetness! But let’s start with the bread components.

FOCACCIA ART

Maybe you remember the Quilted Focaccia Buns of a recent past? I got this idea from the book Beautiful Bread, which I highly recommend, as Theresa Culletto shares amazing designs and all the tips to make them happen. It is all a matter of making a big enough dough to cover a large baking sheet, and then planning decorations with veggies cut in shapes.

It is quite amazing how much flavor and smell little pieces of leeks impart to the dough. You can also use chives for the stems if you prefer, they will likely be easier to work with, no real prep needed.

Moving on, I had to bake a sourdough, and chose a Springtime design for it…

And now, to the sweets… From Molly Yeh’s new book Sweet Farm, one of the most delicious cookies ever, a Cherry Mahlab Linzer! I cannot share the recipe for copyright issues, but I’m tempted to tell you that the book is worth it JUST for that one. Mahlab is a Middle Eastern spice that resembles cinnamon and imparts great flavor to the dough. I will be using it often.

The dough rolls like a dream, browns beautifully in the oven, and crumbles in your mouth with that texture that only almond flour will provide. Absolutely a must-make!

From the past, I re-visited the German Chocolate Macarons, which I did not have a change to taste the first time I made, but the feedback was so great, I was intrigued and could not wait to make again FOR US. Wonderful they were, all modesty aside… Recipe available here.

TWO VERSIONS OF BRIGADEIROS

Red Velvet and Lemon. They were both made with the same basic method: 1 can condensed milk + 1 tablespoon butter in a saucepan. To the Red Velvet I added one full tablespoon of cocoa powder + 1/2 tsp Red Velvet Emulsion from LorAnn and a pinch of salt.

To the Lemon version, I added 2 tablespoons Lemon Curd (store-bought), and a pinch of salt. On a later version I added a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and some lemon zest, I liked that better. Both versions cooked the way described in this old post of mine.

And now, for the Piece of Resistance, THE CAKE! Choice of the husband, who found the recipe online and twisted my 65 year old arm to make it. Recipe published here, and also in his cookbook SWEET.

This is one amazing cake! Luscious, moist, tender, almost feels like flourless. The ganache on top takes it exactly there: over the top. And of course, I had to add a Brazilian flair to it and topped with Red Velvet Brigadeiros. And some luster powder. Because if I cannot bling on my own Birthday, there would be something wrong with me.

ONE YEAR AGO: Incredibly Simple: Air-Fried Salmon Bites

TWO YEARS AGO: Chocolate-Covered Oreos

THREE YEARS AGO: Pan-Steamed Broccoli with Miso Vinaigrette

FOUR YEARS AGO: Cookies and Rubber Stamps

FIVE YEARS AGO: Macarons for all Seasons and Reasons

SIX YEARS AGO: Lentils and Radicchio? Yes, please!

SEVEN YEAR AGO: Tres Leches Cake

EIGHT YEARS AGO: The Joys of Grating Squash

NINE YEARS AGO: Auberge-Pecan Walnut Bread

TEN YEARS AGO: Gluten-free and Vegan Raspberry Bars

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Lasserre, a French Classic

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Sourdough Bread with Walnuts and Dates

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Braised Brisket with Bourbon-Apricot Glaze

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: The Real Vodka Sauce

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO: Pork Tenderloin and Blue Cheese

1Mar2025

FAYE PALMQVIST AND MINI-LOAF CAKES

Posted in Cake by sallybr

Today I want you to meet (at least virtually) a very special baker, Chef Faye Palmqvist. She hosts a group on Facebook that is geared towards advanced baking, often involving one of her specialties, mini-loaf cakes. They are elegant, unique, and she sure knows how to make them ultra special. You can visit and join her group for free, clicking here. Without further ado, here is my batch of Vanilla Cake following her recipe perfectly adapted for the mini-loaf environment, with a slight twist on her Swiss Meringue Buttercream, incorporating Nutella into it.

I cannot share the recipe, as it is copyrighted from her cookbook, available in her website. But her method produces flawless cakes that bake perfectly in the little aluminum tins (like these ones).

Below, the prep work and the pans before and after baking.

I used one of her methods to pipe the buttercream that I find quite attractive and was suprisingly easy to accomplish!

I hope you join her Facebook group to profit from her knowledge and meet other baking aficionados. On Tuesdays, she posts a feature where you can ask any question about baking, other days are dedicated to professional baking – advice on selling, advertising, stuff like that. And she often encourages members to share pictures of their bakes, so it is a friendly and warm spot in the internet. I feel that is what we all need right now.

ONE YEAR AGO: For the Love of Broccoli

TWO YEARS AGO: Spanakopita, Crackers and the Adventure of Phyllo Dough

THREE YEARS AGO: Chicken Noodle Soup

FOUR YEARS AGO: Floral Chocolate Stick Cookies

FIVE YEARS AGO: Sally’s Spicy Mango and Coconut Macarons

SIX YEARS AGO: Bouillabaise for a Chilly Evening

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Bergamot-Cherry Macarons

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Roasted Veggies with Queso Cotija Dressing

NINE YEARS AGO: Creamy Broccoli and Mushroom Casserole

TEN YEARS AGO: Maple Walnut Biscotti

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Barley Risotto with Peas

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Oatmeal Fudge Bars

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Cauliflower Steaks

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: Soft Spot for Chevre

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO: Quick sun-dried Tomato Crostini

15Feb2025

BAKING WITH THE HEART – FEBRUARY 2025

Posted in Breads, Cake, Cookies by sallybr

A few bakes for the season

CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES with RASPBERRY BUTTERCREAM
(decoration inspired by @cookingclassy)

CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH RASPBERRY BUTTERCREAM
(from The Bewitching Kitchen)

for the cupcakes (makes 10):

100g all-purpose flour
150g granulated sugar
20g cocoa powder (Dutch-processed)
45g unsalted butter
1/8 tsp salt
120ml milk at room temperature
1 large egg, room temperature
1 + 1/2 tsp baking powder

Heat oven to 350F.

Place flour, cocoa powder, salt, butter and sugar in the bowl of a KitchenAid type mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until the mixture resembles coarse sand.

In a small bowl, whisk milk and egg. Pour half this mixture into the dry ingredients, and mix on medium speed. Scrape the bowl, continue mixing and pour the other half of the milk-egg. Mix on low speed until combined, then increase the speed to high for a few seconds.

Fill cupcake tins a little over half the volume, and bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.

RASPBERRY BUTTERCREAM

113g (1/2 cup) butter, softened
1/4 cup raspberry jam, seedless
pinch of salt
3 cups powdered sugar
super tiny amount of pink food gel color

Cut the butter into cubes and place in a mixing bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix butter until smooth, for about 4 minutes. Add jam, the pinch of salt and mix again until well mixed with butter, a couple of minutes. Add the pink gel color.

With the mixer on low speed, add powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing until fully combined and free of lumps. Once it is all incorporated, turn the speed to high and mix for 2 minutes. That will give you a smooth buttercream that you can use immediately to frost the cooled cupcakes.

Decorate with a fresh raspberry and hearts made with tempered chocolate (or compound chocolate) melted and piped into parchment paper or acetate.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Normally I donate all the sweets I bake, but because it was Valentine’s Day, I saved one cupcake to enjoy with the hubby after our meal. OMG! Words of the husband: “Good thing we only had one to share because if we had more I could not stop eating them”. Moist, delicious, and the buttercream frosting absolutely perfect, bringing a little sharp flavor to the party. Make them. Just make them if you want a wonderful treat.

MOVING ON…

VANILLA CAKE WITH HIBISCUS GLAZE
(recipe published in the past, click here)

SUGAR COOKIES WITH RUFFLES AND ROSES
(after @sweetambs)

CHOCOLATE-CHIPOTLE COOKIES WITH CUTOUT HEARTS

OWLS IN LOVE
(after Haniela)

CHOCOLATE-COVERED OREOS

LADY-GREY MACARONS
(from the past, click here)

POLKA-DOT LOVE SOURDOUGH
(from the past, click here)

IF YOUR HEART IS NOT IN IT, EXCELLENCE IS NOT POSSIBLE

ONE YEAR AGO: Baking with the Heart

TWO YEARS AGO: Roasted Cauliflower with Chickpeas and Quinoa

THREE YEARS AGO: A Savory Phyllo Pie

FOUR YEARS AGO: Nut-Free Lady Grey Macarons

FIVE YEARS AGO: Mini-Heart Cakes for your Valentine

SIX YEARS AGO: Blue Moon Milk

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Slow-Cooked Chicken Meatballs

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Zesty Flourless Chocolate Cake

NINE YEARS AGO: Maple Pumpkin Pecan Snacking Cake

TEN YEARS AGO: Silky Gingered Zucchini Soup

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Sweet Fifteen!

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Sesame and Flaxseed Sourdough

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Green Beans with Miso and Almonds

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: Saturday Morning Scones

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO: White Bread

2Feb2025

COCONUT CUPCAKES GET FROSTY

Posted in Cake, Desserts, Desserts, Sweets by sallybr

Several components needed for this bake, but isn’t it all worth it? I cannot take credit for the idea, I saw it by total accident in this Instagram page and fell in love with it. I adapted to use my own cupcake recipe and Tanya – tent-baker-extraordinaire and amazing friend – helped me with a frosting that holds well at room-temperature.

FROSTED COCONUT CUPCAKES WITH SNOWMAN COOKIE DECORATION
(adapted from several sources, inspired by Constellation Inspiration)

For the cupcakes (makes 12):
170g cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
113g butter at room temperature
200g sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract or paste
80g egg whites
90g sour cream
85g coconut milk

Heat oven to 350F. Make sure that the butter, egg whites, coconut milk and sour cream are at room temperature. Fill a cupcake pan with paper liners. Reserve.

Sift the cake flour baking powder, baking soda and salt. Reserve. Cream butter and sugar with the paddle attachment of a KitchenAid type mixer for about 5 minutes. Add vanilla to the egg whites and slowly pour into the creamed butter/sugar, continuing to mix and medium-low speed. Mix the coconut milk with the sour cream, then add to the mixer 1/3 of the reserved dry ingredients, 1/2 of the milk/sourcream, followed by 1/3 of the dry, 1/2 liquids, and finally the remaining amount of dry ingredients.

Place in the lined cupcake pan. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

COCONUT BUTTERCREAM
(from Tanya Ott)

1 cup butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup coconut milk

Whisk the butter with a Kitchen Aid type mixer and the paddle attachment for about 4 minutes. Add the powdered sugar in three batches, continue beating in medium-speed. Add the coconut milk, beat at medium-high for 2 minutes or so. Adjust consistency with powdered sugar if needed. Frost the cupcakes once they are at room temperature and immediately stick a snowman cookie on top.

SNOWMAN DECORATION

Bake rings of chocolate cookie dough small enough to fit over the cupcake. They will be fragile. Try to make them smaller than the ones I made, so they will have an easier time standing up on the frosted cake.

Once the rings are baked, use this recipe (minus the food gel color) to make the stained glass component. Pour inside the rings, let them set. Use Royal icing to create a snowy scene with a snowman.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I absolutely loved making the stained-glass component with the snowman. You can do that a couple of days in advance, store at room temperature. They hold well. I made mine slightly too big, and at first I thought they would never stand up, but with “a little bit extra frosting” they did stay happily up. Consider decreasing the size a bit. Or, if you don’t mind the extra frosting, just go big!

The decorations matched very well our current situation in Manhattan, Kansas, aka The Little Apple.

We expect that by this weekend the snow will finally melt in our surroundings. It’s been a tough month of January. For too many reasons. Baking is keeping me reasonably sane. Or so everyone arounds me hopes.

ONE YEAR AGO: Mexican Bolillos

TWO YEARS AGO: Brazilian Style Banana Cake

THREE YEARS AGO: Tiger Shrimp in Chili Sauce

FOUR YEARS AGO: Tangzhong Hamburger Buns

FIVE YEARS AGO: Potato Soup with Spicy Shrimp

SIX YEARS AGO: Rose-Harissa Chicken Thighs

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Caramel-Chocolate Tartlets

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Chicken Korma-ish

NINE YEARS AGO: Sunday Gravy with Braciola

TEN YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, February 2015

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Avocado and Orange Salad with Charred Jalapeno Dressing

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Green Olive, Walnuts and Pomegranate Salad

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Romanian Flatbreads

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: Ziti with Artichokes and Meyer Lemon Sauce

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO: Blasted Broccoli, Stove-top version

25Jan2025

NIGHT SKY OMBRÉ CAKE

Posted in Cake by sallybr

Inspiration from this cake came from a book I’ve had for many years: Cake Decorating for Beginners, by Rose Atwater. It is a wonderful book, full of cute ideas, some pretty simple, some a bit more involved. I love ombré style cakes, having done some in the past.

NIGHT SKY VANILLA CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE GANACHE FILLING
(inspired by Rose Atwater)

for the cake:
1 +1/2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 + 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 + 1/2 cups sugar
½ teaspoons salt
2 tsp buttery vanilla emulsion (from Lorann)
3 large eggs

Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour three 8 x 2 inch round cake pans, line bottom with parchment paper. Reserve.

In a small bowl, mix together the milk and heavy cream. In a medium bowl, sift together the two types of flour and baking powder. Set aside. Cream the butter using a stand mixer and the paddle attachment on medium speed until it’s soft and light, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar and salt and mix until the mixture is light in color and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla, and mix until just combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing for 20 seconds after each egg, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Turn the mixer speed to low, then add one-third of the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Add half of the milk mixture and mix until just combined, then add another third of the flour mixture. Repeat with the remaining milk and flour mixtures. Divide the batter between the prepared pans and spread it out evenly. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean.

for the ganache filling:
230g dark chocolate, cut in pieces
240g heavy cream

Heat cream until simmering, pour over chocolate in a large bowl. Allow to sit for 5 minutes than whisk gently until smooth. Let it cool for 15 minutes then place in the fridge for 90 minutes. Use a hand held mixer to whip the ganache until lighter and fluffier. Use to fill the two layers of the cake.

for the frosting:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup vegetable shortening
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 to 4 tablespoons milk
¼ teaspoon salt
2 pounds (approximately 8 cups) powdered sugar
food gel dye, Americolor Royal Blue and Diamond Black

In a large bowl, use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, and beat together the butter, shortening and vanilla until smooth and creamy.

Add 2 tablespoons of the milk, the salt, and half the powdered sugar and mix just until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. On low speed, gradually add in the remaining sugar. Add more milk as needed to achieve the desired consistency.

Divide the frosting in three bowls, and one drop of blue to the first bowl, two drops to the second, and 2 drops blue + 1 drop black in the last.

Assemble the cake: Place the first cake on a board, add ganache as a smooth layer on top. Place second cake over ganache, repeat the process. Add last round of cake and press gently. Frost with a thin layer of frosting in the lightest color (or do it before adding any dye to the buttercream). Let the cake cool in the fridge for an hour or more. Frost with the dyed buttercream: cover the top and 1/3 of the height from top to bottom with the darkest color of blue. Add the medium tone to the second third of the cake, and the lightest color to the bottom. Use a scraper to smooth the layers. Add texture with a little spatula as you turn the cake. Add star sprinkles.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I wish I could report on taste and looks as it was sliced, but I donated the cake whole, so my fingers are crossed that the recipients liked it… At any rate, it is hard to go wrong with vanilla and chocolate ganache, right? The buttercream is simple to prepare and crusts nicely in case it needs to sit for hours at room temperature. I love the effect of the different colors. Of course, I had to add some gold dust because I cannot help it… I bet you are not surprised!