Baking Lust: Cool Off

Maybe it's the heat or that it's sort of my favorite color, but I've really been loving some cool minty hued cakes lately. I've come up with a new challenge...it's summer and I need things to do. So whatever my baking lust theme is, I need to make something based on this theme. I'm thinking a minty cake will be completed later this week.

And cupcakes!

And macarons!

1. Style Me Pretty 2.WOW Factor Cakes 3. Martha Stewart 4. Cuppacakes 5. Flickr

S'mores Cupcakes

Maybe it was because it was the first day of summer and s'mores are the unofficial summer treat but the cupcake stars aligned and I got an idea. Yesterday, I saw this post by Jordan for S'mores kits. After saving that idea away, I wanted a s'more. Right then, in the 96 degree middle of the day with no campfire around and in the middle of downtown Salisbury. Not really an option. Then I saw that Martha's Cookie of the Day was S'mores Cookies. Okay idea Martha, but a s'more cookie wasn't enough. I needed a s'more cupcake. I actually went to bed and layed awake thinking of different combinations to make the perfect s'mores cupcake.

Here's what I came up with:

Cupcake:

The cupcake would be chocolate, nothing else was never an option. I used Beatty's Chocolate Cake recipe because it's the best chocolate cupcake. To make it a true s'mores cupcake, I added graham cracker crumbs on top of the cupcake batter once I put them in the cupcake tins. Bake 20 minutes and you get a perfect graham cracker chocolate cupcake.

Chocolate Topping:

I melted a Hershey's Bar and put a huge spoonful on top of each cupcake. I could have used fancier chocolate but I wanted the authentic s'more taste.

Marshmallow Frosting:

I totally made this up.

1 stick of unsalted butter

2 (7 oz) jars of marshmallow cream

3 cups powdered sugar (give or take)

It was really all over the place but that I blame my kitchen being 90 degrees. Tastes just like a melted marshmallow though!

Add some more graham cracker crumbs....

Right after these photos were taken I grabbed up a cupcake and quickly moved to the sink since it was melting everywhere and proceeded to eat a cupcake in 3 bites. I tasted just like a s'more and it wasn't until the last bite I noticed how good the chocolate cake was with the rest of the s'more taste. Messy, yes. But isn't that the way s'mores are supposed to be?

Raspberry and Peach Sorbet

After finishing up my last teacher workday I decided to treat myself to a pedicure, a very long overdue pedicure. Harris Teeter is right next door so I went in to grab a magazine and raspberry lemonade. I mean I always like Martha's ideas and photos but imagine my excitement when I read in the latest Martha Stewart that you can make raspberry sorbet in a food processor! Raspberry sorbet is my summertime favorite frozen thing ever!

After my pedicure I went back into Harris Teeter and grabbed some frozen raspberries. I couldn't just stop with raspberry and got some frozen peaches as well. Martha also had this huge spread about peaches and since I didn't have any good fresh ones around to bake with, I figured peach sorbet would work for now. And does it ever! Sooo good, both of them. Maybe I'll never have to buy the pricy sorbet in stores anymore!

Raspberry Sorbet

Makes 1 pint

12 oz frozen raspberries

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

Mix sugar and water until sugar is dissolved. Pulse frozen raspberries in food processor until they are a very fine crumble. Add sugar water to the raspberries while the processor is running until it is smooth. Pour into freezable containers and place in freezer until firm, around 2 hours.

Peach Sorbet

Makes 1 1/2 pint

16 oz frozen peaches (or use whatever size you can find)

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

Mix sugar and water until sugar is dissolved. Pulse frozen peaches in food processor until they are a very fine crumble. Add sugar water to the peaches while the processor is running until it is smooth. Pour into freezable containers and place in freezer until firm, around 2 hours.

Lilly's 1st Birthday

These were for a co-worker's little girl Lilly's 1st birthday. Lilly was having a garden party. Very sophisticated for a one year old! But when you are named Lilly you need to have a garden party! The cupcakes were mostly lemon cake with vanilla buttercream. I did make some vanilla cupcakes too for the little kids. I'd almost forgotten about how great this buttercream recipe is.

Baking Lust: Martha Stewart Cakes

Today I was waiting at the drugstore and saw these:

Of course my first thought is "I want to make these now!" And I'm pretty sure that I could if I had the time and my kitchen wasn't 100 degrees. Good thing that school is almost out and I'll have time to take on random baking endeavors.

And this butterfly cake is maybe the best cake ever.

And these are pretty great too...

Baking Lust: Kitchen Accessories

Today we are pretend kitchen shopping at Antropologie (where else?!)

First you need an apron that looks like a dress:

This one works for me:

Measuring cups are important. Currently I can only find 3 of mine, the 1/2, 1/3, and 1/4 cup. It's getting really old using the 1/2 cup to measure 3 cups of flour.

Eggs and butter are essential for every baking recipe:

I always make a mess and have to wash and dry my hands 1,000 times.

Presentation is everything.

Three years ago...

...I made a batch of peanut butter cookies.

Last night I was putting off going to sleep and after seeing another blog's birthday post I thought "hmm...when is this blog's birthday?" All I could remember was that I started it in the summer, two years ago maybe? So I looked it up and was way excited to find out that it's today! And it's been three years! What good timing!

I forgot that I started it right after graduating college. The main reason for starting it was just to remember all the recipes I tried and liked (or ones I didn't so I wouldn't try them again). And I was just out of college, starting to look for teaching jobs, and had not much else to do besides bake. I can't believe it's been three years! I still remember making that batch of peanut butter cookies and I'm pretty sure I've not made any since then. But I've come a long way since that first batch of cookies!

After reminiscing for a bit I thought, oh no, now I have to bake something. I mean, I couldn't know it was my baking blog's birthday and knowingly pass the day by and not bake. Pretty much instantly I knew what I was going to bake.

Strawberry Shortcakes (how cute is the word shortcakes?)

makes 6 servings

modified slightly from Joy the Baker

For the berries:

1 pint fresh strawberries

3 tablespoons of sugar

For the whipped cream:

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

3 tablespoons powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the shortcakes:

2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup cold, unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Slice the strawberries and blackberries and place in a medium sized bowl. Sprinkle with sugar. Stir. Cover and place in the fridge to macerate for at least 2 hours.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, or using simple a bowl and whisk, whip the cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract together until soft peaks form. Cover place in the fridge for later.

Now let’s make the biscuits!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place a rack in the center of the oven.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl whisk together the egg, vanilla extract and heavy cream. Cut the cold butter into small pieces and, using your fingers, incorporate the butter into the flour mixture. Work quickly, the butter and flour mixture will look like coarse crumbs.

Make a well in the center of the butter and flour mixture and pour in the wet ingredients. Mix just until the dough comes together. Dump out onto a clean, floured surface and bring it together with your hands. Knead once or twice then pat the dough out into a rectangle roughly 7-inches long, 4 -inches tall and 1-inch thick. Cut the dough into six equal pieces.

Place the shortcakes onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush the tops of each shortcake with a bit of cream and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake for 15-20 minutes until nicely browned.

Remove from the oven. Cool completely.

To assemble, cut the shortcakes in half, top with a few spoonfuls of berries and juice, whipped cream and the biscuit top. Dang good.