Triple-Chocolate Brownies

Today, I will be baking triple-chocolate brownies. This is my second favorite dessert, next to cookies! It has been a fun experience baking during the holidays. A small intro to these goodies is, “These decadent brownies are loaded with two kinds of chocolate chips and plenty of toasted walnuts” (Laidlaw 243). To me personally I don’t like walnuts so I’m just going to leave that out, walnuts are optional in this recipe. Let’s get started! J

The ingredients are:

• 4 Oz Unsweetened Chocolate (chopped)
• ½ Cup Unsalted Butter
• 1 ¼ Cups Sugar
• 1 Tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
• ¼ Tsp Kosher Salt
• 3 Large Eggs
• ¾ Cup All-Purpose Flour
• ½ Cup Milk Chocolate Chips
• ½ Cup White Chocolate Chips

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, warm the unsweetened chocolate and the butter over low heat, stirring until melted and smooth. Let cool slightly.
2. Whisk the sugar, vanilla, and salt into the chocolate mixture. One at a time, whisk in the eggs, mixing well after each addition, then continue to whisk until the mixture is velvety, about 2 minutes.
3. Add the flour and whisk just until blended. Stir in the milk chocolate and white chocolate chips. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface.
4. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan and line with parchment paper, allowing the parchment to overhand the sides slightly.
5. Bake until the top is just springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 40 minutes. Let it cool in the pan on a wire rack. Using the parchment, lift the sheet of brownies from the pan. Peel the parchment from the sides, then cut it into squares and serve.
6. Enjoy!  
   

   

   

   This was another simple bake, but it requires a lot of stirring. I have learned throughout this baking process, that using parchment paper is really useful when baking. These techniques have helped me become a better baker! A must for this sweet treat is a glass of milk. Brownies are the perfect choice for a weekday dessert, an after-school treat, or a sweet offering for a casual gathering (Laidlaw 243). Over all, I had a great time baking in the kitchen from my first bake of Cake Pops, to these Triple-Chocolate Brownies. I hope you had fun too during these cold, winter days, while you sit at home relaxing. Just with one bite of these brownies, there is a burst of chocolate in your mouth! I would have to agree with this cookbook that a glass of milk is a must. Anyways, I challenge you to start baking now! J

Would you prefer adding toppings (walnuts, peanuts, etc.) to your brownies or not? What is your favorite part of baking in the kitchen?

Citation: Laidlaw, Kim, and Erin Kunkel. Dessert of the Day. San Francisco, CA: Weldon Owen, 2013. Print.

Mixed Berry Galette

2016 is coming to a close and it is time to ring in the new year. I’m really excited to be baking this berry pie! It’s one of a kind and it is featured on the front page of this book, “Dessert of the Day” so it must be the best recipe in this book. “Rustic fruit galettes are so simple that you may wonder why you don’t make them all the time” (Laidlaw 104). This pie is great to eat when waiting for the countdown to 2017. This recipe says it serves 6-8 people, so it is great for sharing.

This is a two-part recipe: one for the pie and one for the Flaky Pie Dough.

The ingredients are:

Flaky Pie Dough for Single Crust

• 1 ¼ Cups All-Purpose Flour

• ¼ Tsp Kosher Salt

• 2 Tsp Sugar

• 7 Tbsp Cold Unsalted Butter (cut into pieces)

• 5 Tbsp Ice Water (plus more if needed)

• 2 Cups/8 oz Blackberries

• 2 Cups/8 oz Blueberries

• 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice

• ¼ Cup Granulated Sugar

• 3 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour

• 1 Large Egg (beaten with 1 tsp water (optional))

• 1 Tbsp Turbinado Sugar (optional)

• Vanilla Ice Cream for serving

Directions:

1. To start, prepare the pie dough by combining the flour, salt and sugar in a bowl of a food processor. Sprinkle the butter over the top and pulse for a few seconds, or just until the butter is slightly broken up into the flour but still in visible pieces. Evenly sprinkle the water over the flour mixture, then process just until the mixture starts to come together. Dump the dough into a large zip-top plastic bag and press into a flat disk. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day before using, or freeze for up to 1 month.
2. Prepare the dough and chill as directed.
3. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a round about 12 inches in diameter and about 1/8 inch thick. Transfer to the prepared sheet.
4. In a bowl, toss together the berries, lemon juice, granulated sugar, and flour. Spoon the filling onto the dough, leaving a 2-inch border uncovered around the edge. Fold the edge up and over the filling, forming loose pleats. Brush the border with the egg wash and sprinkle with the Turbinado sugar, if you like.
5. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
6. Bake until the filling is bubbling and the pastry is golden brown, about 25 minutes. Let cool slightly on a wire rack before serving with scoops of ice cream.
7. Enjoy!

   

   

   
   

Baking this pie was very fun and it took a lot of effort to make. I had four extra hand with the help of my mom and dad, so it was enjoyable baking with them during the last few days of our winter break. Flaky pie pastries plead around blackberries and blueberries, featured in this recipe, creating/making a beautiful deep purple tart flavor. But, you can really use just about any kind of berry/fruit you like (Laidlaw 104). In the end, the pie looked and tasted delicious! I served it with ice cream and I would advise you to do the same. Ice Cream goes great with this kind of pie, as the book said it did turn out a purple color. I hope you guys enjoyed seeing me bake this pie or baking it yourself at home! Overall, I was super happy with the end result. If you ever want to try this recipe, I highly encourage it.

That’s all for this year of 2016, I hope you have a fantastic 2017! J

There are a lot of different kinds of pies in the world (Apple, Pumpkin, Cherry, Chocolate Cream, etc.) what is your favorite? Why? Also, what flavor of ice cream do you prefer for your pies?

Citation: Laidlaw, Kim, and Erin Kunkel. Dessert of the Day. San Francisco, CA: Weldon Owen, 2013. Print.

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

It’s almost Christmas and what better way to celebrate, than baking some red velvet cupcakes. “The tender buttermilk cake has just a couple of tablespoons of cocoa, which adds just a hint of chocolate” (Laidlaw 161). These are great to share with family and friends because this recipe says it makes up to 12 cupcakes. Baking is a fun hobby and it reduces all the stress that is happening in your busy lives. This is a sweet treat to eat during the holidays!

This is a two-part recipe: one for the red velvet cupcakes and one for the cream cheese frosting.

The ingredients are:

• 1 ¼ Cups Cake Flour

• 2 Tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

• ¾ Tsp Baking Powder

• ¼ Tsp Kosher Salt

• ½ Cup Buttermilk

• 1 Tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

• ½ Tsp White Vinegar

• 4 Drops Red Food Coloring

• ¾ Cup Sugar

• 4 Tbsp Unsalted Butter

• 1 Large Egg

Cream Cheese Frosting

• ½ lb Cream Cheese (at cool room temperature)

• ¼ cup Unsalted Butter (at cool room temperature)

• 2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

• 1 cup Confectioners’ Sugar (sifted)

Directions:

1. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt together into a bowl.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, vanilla, vinegar, and red food coloring.
3. In another bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the sugar and butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and beat to combine.
4. Add half the dry ingredients, then the buttermilk mixture, and finally the remaining dry ingredients, beating on low speed until combined.
5. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 12 standard muffin cups with liners or grease with butter and dust with flour.
6. Divide the batter between the muffin cups, filling them nearly full. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 17-20 minutes.
7. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Then transfer the cupcakes to the rack and let it cool completely, for about 1 hour.
8. To make the frosting, in a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, for about 2 minutes. Gradually beat in the sugar and continue to mix until thoroughly combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
9. Use right away, or, if the consistency is too soft, refrigerate the frosting until it is spreadable, 10-15 minutes. The frosting will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
10. Finally, spread a thick layer of frosting on each cupcake and serve. Enjoy!

Overall, I had baked 9 cupcakes in total with the batter that I had left. This took me twice as long to bake (2 Hours) than the chocolate chip cookies I had baked last week which only took about 1 hour. But I would have to agree with this book that the cream cheese frosting is the best part of this whole cupcake (Laidlaw 161). In the end, the cupcake color was not what I was expecting to have. It turned out to be more light brown than dark red because of the two tablespoons of Cocoa Powder the recipe told me to add in. But, all in all, I am glad that I got to bake in the kitchen even though it got a little messy with the electric mixer flying flour and sugar everywhere! J Have fun baking!

Have you ever tried baking something and it didn’t turn out as what you were expecting it to be? What are some ways you tried to fix it?

Citation: Laidlaw, Kim, and Erin Kunkel. Dessert of the Day. San Francisco, CA: Weldon Owen, 2013. Print.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

For my second post, I will be baking chocolate chip cookies. It’s winter break and it is the best time to bake, especially during the holidays! “Chocolate chip cookies and brownies are universally popular baked goods with very distinct and committed fans” (Jackson 41). I know I am a big fan of cookies in general and they are a delicious treat to eat. It is also fun when you get to bake them from scratch, to share with your family and friends.

The ingredients are:

• 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1 ¼ Teaspoons Fine Sea Salt

• ¾ Teaspoon Baking Soda

• 1 Cup (2 sticks) Unsalted Butter, Melted and Cooled Slightly

• 2/3 Cup Lightly Packed Dark Brown Sugar

• 2 Eggs

• 1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup (or Honey)

• 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract

• 1 ¾ Cups Bittersweet Chocolate Chips

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
2. In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars on medium speed until light and creamy, about 1 ½ minutes. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla, and add to the butter mixture. Beat on medium speed until the ingredients are thoroughly incorporated, about 15 seconds.
4. Scrape the bowl again and add the dry ingredients on low speed, mixing just until the dough comes together, about 20 seconds.
5. Wrap the dough and chill overnight or up to 2 days.
6. Once you are ready to bake and have chilled it overnight or up to 2 days: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Using your hands or a 1-oz scooper, form 1-inch balls of dough and place them on the baking sheets, 2 inches apart.
7. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until the cookie edges are golden brown and the centers are still soft. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheets before transferring the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
8. Enjoy!

Alternative: If you like, replace 1 cup of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour.

This was an easy, simple bake and I’m sure you can copy this recipe yourself at home. If you are wondering why we need to chill these cookies overnight, it was done so that the dry ingredients could absorb the liquid ingredients during a certain length of time. Chilling the dough would produce a chewier cookie and/or allow the flavors to develop. (Jackson 43). Something I didn’t know while reading this cookbook was that, “Bittersweet chocolate is the best type of chocolate for baking” (Jackson 5). The total amount I had baked was 21 cookies! When you first bite into one, you can’t stop eating more and more! Baking allowed me to have a bit more fun during our winter break and I hope you can become a baker too during this cold, winter weather! After all, it’s baking season!!!

Have you ever tried baking cookies from scratch before, how was it like? What sweet treats do you eat during the holidays?

Citation: Jackson, Ellen. Classic Cookies with Modern Twists: 100 Best Recipes for Old & New Favorites. Seattle: Sasquatch Books, 2015. Print.

Cake Pops for the Holidays

Today, I will be baking Cake Pops. This is a great treat to have during the holidays, to share amongst your family and friends. If you didn’t already know, “Cake pops are crumbled cake mixed with frosting and rolled into bite-size balls, which are dipped in candy coating and served lollypop-style on a stick” (Dudley 9). Once you know how to make a basic, round cake pop, you can make or create your own designs. Such as wreaths, stockings, jingle bells, peppermint pops, Santa’s, ornaments and much more. These “projects” or creations can be found in this same book “Cake Pops: Holidays.” Just follow the instructions and away you go. But, today I’ll be make basic cake pops!

The ingredients are:

• 18.25 oz. (520 g.) Box Cake Mix
• 9 by 13 in. (23 by 33 cm.) Cake Pan
• Two Baking Sheets
• Wax Paper
• Large Mixing Bowl
• 16 oz. Container Ready-Made Frosting
• Large Metal Spoon
• Plastic Wrap
• 48 oz. (1.4 kg.) Candy Coating (or Candy Wafers)
• Deep, Microwave-Safe Plastic Bowl
• 48 Lollipop Sticks
• Styrofoam Block

Directions:

1.      Bake the cake as directed on the box, using the 9 by 13 in. (23 by 33 cm.) cake pan. Let cool completely.

2.      Once the cake has cooled, get organized and set aside plenty of time (a couple of hours) to crumble, roll, and dip 4 dozen cake pops. Line the baking sheets with wax paper.

3.      Crumble the cooled cake into the large bowl. You should not see any big pieces of cake.

4.      Add up to three-quarters of the container of frosting to the bowl. (You will not need the remaining frosting. Save it in the refrigerator for a later use.) Mix it into the crumbled cake, using the back of a large metal spoon, until thoroughly combined. If you use the entire container, the cake balls will be too moist.

5.      The mixture should be moist enough to roll into 1 ½ in. (4 cm.) balls and still hold a round shape. After rolling the cake balls by hand, place them on the prepared baking sheets and let them rest for about 20 minutes before chilling.

6.      Cover with plastic wrap and chill for several hours in the refrigerator, or place them in the freezer for about 15 minutes. You want the balls to be firm, but not frozen.

7.      Place the candy coating in the deep microwave-safe bowl. These bowls make it easier to cover the cake balls completely with candy coating while holding the bowl and without burning your fingers. The coating should be about 3 in. (7.5 cm.) deep for easy dipping. I usually work with about 16 oz. (455 g.) of coating at a time.

8.      Melt the candy coating, following the instructions on the package. Microwave on medium power for 30 seconds at a time, stirring with a spoon between each interval. You can also use a double boiler. Either way, make sure you don’t overheat the coating.

9.      Now you’re ready to dip. Take a few cake balls out of the refrigerator or freezer to work with, keeping the rest chilled. If they’re in the freezer, transfer the rest of the balls to the refrigerator at this point so they stay firm but don’t freeze.

10.   One at a time, dip about ½ in. (12 mm.) of the tip of a lollipop stick into the melted candy coating, and then insert the lollipop stick straight into a cake ball, pushing it no more than halfway through.

11.   Holding the lollipop stick with cake ball attached, dip the entire cake ball into the melted candy coating until it is completely covered, and remove it in one motion. Make sure the coating meets at the base of the lollipop stick. This helps secure the cake ball to the stick when the coating sets. The object is to completely cover the cake ball and remove it without submerging it in the coating more than once. A small, deep plastic bowl is very helpful during this step. If you do resubmerge the cake pop, the weight of the candy coating can pull on the cake ball and cause it to get stuck in the coating.

12.   The thinner the consistency of your coating, the easier it will be to coat the cake pops. If you find that your coating is too thick, add some vegetable oil or paramount crystals to help thin it and make the coating more fluid.

13.   When you remove the cake pop from the candy coating, some excess coating may start to drip. Hold the cake pop in one hand and use the other to gently tap the first wrist. Rotate the lollipop stick, if necessary, to allow the excess coating to fall off evenly, so one side doesn’t get heavier than the other. If you didn’t completely dunk the cake pop, this method of tapping and rotating generally takes care of that. The coating will slowly slide down the surface of the cake ball until it reaches the lollipop stick.

14.   If too much coating surrounds the base of the lollipop stick, you can wipe the excess off with your finger. Simply place your finger on the stick right under the cake ball and rotate the pop, allowing any excess coating to fall off and back into the bowl of coating. When most of the excess coating has fallen off and it is no longer dripping, stick the cake pop into the Styrofoam block.

15.   Repeat with the remaining cake balls and let the pops dry completely in the Styrofoam block.

16.   Enjoy!

Some tips in making cake pops are:

• Make the cake the day before, and let it cool overnight.
• Experiment with different colors of candy coating and sprinkles.
• Once you are ready to crumble your cake, I would remove the “crust” of the cake so that it would be easier to form and roll the cake balls.
• When adding sprinkles, sprinkle it on right away after you have completely covered the cake pop with candy coating.  

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Baking takes lots of patience and time. It is really important that you prepare and read ahead when baking goods. Setting up your tools, ingredients and baking supplies will save you lots of time when baking, to reduce pointless frustration (Dudley 18). This has been my first time making cake pops and also baking in the kitchen, so I’m glad that I got to bake during Thanksgiving Break! I would recommend baking to anyone who likes to have fun and to be creative. Reading, getting and looking through this cookbook (“Cake Pops: Holidays”) made me want to bake and create tasty treats! I hope this experience encouraged you to become a baker and enjoy being in the kitchen!

What do you like to bake/eat at home? Cookies, pies, cupcakes, cakes, etc.?

Citation: Dudley, Angie. Cake Pops: Holidays. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle, 2012. Print.