chocolate

Farewell

~ Laura ~ Leave a comment

My oldest daughter LOVES to read. I actually call her Rory (Gilmore Girls reference) sometimes. We have had the same conversation Lorelei and Rory had regarding things not fitting into a backpack because of multiple books. To say my daughter reads a lot is an understatement. She would love nothing more than to spend a day curled up and reading a book! She is in eighth grade this year. She has had two librarians in her life thus far and she has taken a shine to both.

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In the next few weeks our middle school/ town librarian will be embarking a new adventure with her family in another state. We are sad to see her go, but we wish her all the best! She has picked out numerous books for Kailee, as I am sure she does for many folks in our town and school!! Kailee loves that Audrey will search for just the right book for her, or be able to come up with a title at ease that fits just her style. Thank you Audrey for making our children feel special, and for knowing just what book to pick! The next librarian has some big shoes to fill – I hope they welcome the challenge and our kids with “open books.”

As a token of appreciation I made some chocolate cups for her. I mean, who doesn’t love to each chocolates while they read?!?

IMG_2006You can make the chocolate cups with a candy mold and tempered or compound chocolate, OR you can buy ready made ones at your local grocery store. I filled them with Biscoff Cookie Butter Smooth Spread and topped with dark chocolate ganache.

IMG_2005I also made ones that I filled with just the ganache and topped with a freeze dried raspberry.  I used my go-to ganache recipe.

These are super easy and quick to make because you don’t have to let the ganache sit before using it, as you might if you were piping or frosting a dessert, especially if using store bought chocolate candy shells. You fill them and are ready to enjoy!

The possibilities are endless – get creative!! These are a quick treat with big flavor!

 

It has been a hot minute …

~ Laura ~ Leave a comment

Geesh – I haven’t had a new post in what seems like forever! Life has been ridiculously busy and chaotic; honestly, isn’t everyone’s? It has been easier to upload a picture with a quick description to my Facebook page, and Instagram and Twitter accounts, rather than writing a blog post. When I started this blog I told myself I wouldn’t just upload a post just to do so. So instead of just slapping something together for the sake of a post, I have waited until there was time to write something that meant something.

19222727_683358305204534_2888216885772032188_oI was driving to work this morning mulling over what I could write about today on my blog if I only had a few minutes to do so and inspiration hit while listening to K-Love. They were talking about how Amy’s son who is in fifth grade had an assignment to pick three things that described him as a person – he picked a football picture, a Yoshi (Mario character) and his bible. There was a small discussion on what each deejay would pick if it were them, and materialism was brought up. Do these things that describe us DEFINE us?

IMG_1873I was already thinking while they were talking, and my kids and my faith were definitely on my list. They most certainly help mold me into who I am as a person – although neither are  materialistic. I have been asked many times why I love to bake by different people I have in my life. I have written about it on my  blog as well.

20621955_708669272673437_5517337067928476823_nMy materialistic item would some sort of baking tool – like a whisk or a piping bag and tip. What a crazy materialistic item, right?  Not only is this a physical item – it describes me well, AND it also can define me, and I am totally okay with that.

IMG_1868Baking is a passion for me. I like to try new recipes and flavors, I like to reminisce with old favorites, and each thing I bake becomes a dot on the timeline of my life. I like to surprise friends and family with sweet treats – either on special occasions or just because. I like how something as small and simple as a cookie or cupcake can bring a genuine smile to someone’s face and brighten their day; and it lets me spread a little bit of love and joy to each person who partakes in my sweets. It is the little things in life that can make the biggest impact. I tell this to my girls all the time, along with “you never know what someone else’s home life is like, so be kind, even if they aren’t.” I am completely okay if someone thinks of my name and baking comes to mind or sweet treats, or anything of that nature. It would tickle me pink if part of my legacy left behind are recipes I have loved and/or tweaked to make my them my own.

19055534_679364042270627_5245441573506192627_oI promise my hiatus from blogging isn’t because I haven’t been baking! Even though life has been crazy busy I still make sure I have time to do what I LOVE! I have made many delicious cupcakes for birthdays and yummy potluck desserts for the office and friends, and my favorite thing so far this summer – THE WEDDING DESSERTS FOR MY BEST FRIEND ❤

64474B85-C7C0-47C7-A7AA-D74AAA79503EThis was truly an honor. They not only trusted me to “design” what was made and the table setting, but also to get 150ish desserts done, drive 2 hours and set it all up. I am forever grateful for this experience!

IMG_1869Always make time for what you love and those you love! There may come a time when you are unable to do the those things, and those we love will not always be around. Make the most of the time you have and be the best you that you can be. What will people remember you for?  It costs nothing to be kind.

Netflix Binge and Baking

~ Laura ~ Leave a comment

I have a TV, however it is only hooked up to a DVD player – I don’t even get any basic cable channels. I also do not have internet. I do however have a smart phone with cellular data. 

I love watching cooking shows – eapecially ones with competitions. Cutthroat Kitchen is a family favorite! I recently became aware of The Great British Bake Off and I am in love!! I binge-watched all three seasons on Netflix AND the Master Class episodes, and I am completely not ashamed of it. It saddens me though that only three seasons are available. I believe their are seven total that have been filmed (come one Netflix – catch up).

The hosts, Mel and Sue, crack me up, and Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood are great. I absolutely adore the dynamic between them all, and love the old fashion and British recipes that come up in the series. I also love that their are three stages to each episode – and the techincal challenges are my FAVORITE. This show isn’t just about sweets either – they make savory dishes – but pastry, breads and sponges do play a big role in this show.  If you love to bake and/or watch baking shows – this show is a must see!

I decided to make Mary Berry’s recipe for a quick and easy chocolate mousse to fill my oreo crusted tart pans and top it with fresh and tart red rapsberries for our Memorial Day dessert. The girls had fun helping – Kailee made the chocolate ganache and Keianna helped make the Oreo tart crust. I wonder if we would get a Hollywood Handshake for these treats? 

Edible Raw Cookie Dough

~ Laura ~ Leave a comment

Yes, you read that correctly! EDIBLE RAW COOKIE DOUGH! I think I may have died and gone to heaven – and I think this may be extremely dangerous now that I know a great recipe for this because I will most likely put it in many creations to come!

I did some research and found that not only eggs make raw cookie dough unsafe to eat, but RAW FLOUR is also a big reason. Who would have thought? Not me! That being discovered I scoured recipes for a version that heats flour to kill any harmful bacteria. There were several recipes that called for cream cheese, which I personally feel can be over powering; and some called for no brown sugar, which I LOVE. I actually make brown sugar chocolate chip cookies – which have the most decedent caramel flavor! (They are actually my most requested treat from family and friends). So yeah, I looked past all those recipes and settled on one that seem perfect and boy was it ever!

sprinklesomefun.com was the WINNER! You can find the original recipe here. I doubled the recipe so that I could use it to make a good size “cookie” on the top of my chocolate cupcakes. I would also note that this is a thicker recipe – more true to a dough – so if you are looking to pipe or frost with this recipe you will need to either adjust the amount of dry ingredients or play with amount of milk you use. I would use the original for filling cupcakes or putting between layers of cake (using no tip on your piping bag and filling or swirling) and the obvious choice – EATING IT OUT OF THE BOWL!

I decided to make this recipe because my sweet brother asked me to make cupcakes for his soon-to-be stepdaughter’s ninth birthday. He and his fiancee gave me the okay to make whatever I felt would be fun and festive. So … I went with raw cookie dough and rainbow buttercream – and they were hits all the way around.

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Edible Raw Cookie Dough Ingredients: (this is a doubled recipe)

2 cup AP flour (making sure that the temp gets to at least 160)
2 stick softened/room temp. butter
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsp. milk
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips
2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Place flour into microwave-safe bowl and heat until temperature reaches at least 160. This will kill any harmful bacteria. In a mixing bowl add softened butter and both sugars to the bowl and cream together. Add salt and milk into a small bowl and stir. This will help incorporate the salt evenly throughout the batter. Slowly add flour and milk/salt mixture. Mix until combined – making sure to scrape down your bowl with a spatula a few times. Add in mini chocolate chips.

Keep refrigerated until ready to eat! Enjoy!

 

Sh*t Happens

~ Laura ~ Leave a comment

Let’s face it. Sometimes we just need a good laugh. It can be cathartic and good for the soul.

I was scrolling through Facebook late at night a few days ago and saw a video from Hungry Happening’s for Poop Emoji Fudge. I knew I had to make them.

Not only because they are so stinkin’ cute, but because the way life has handed me one shit show after another recently – I needed to laugh or cry. I decided to laugh, and laugh I did!

I doubled the recipe and brought these cute little turds to work to share the laughter. We all need to lighten up once in awhile and be silly, carefree and childish. I can think of no better way to do this then POOP EMOJI FUDGE!!

Ingredients:
1 jar of dulce du leche (I found mine at Shaw’s near the jams and jellies)
1 1/2 bags of semi sweet chocolate chips
White Candy Melts
Candy sugar eyes

img_2722Directions:
In a medium sauce pan over low heat melt the dulce de leche and chocolate chips until smooth. While keeping an eye on saucepan, cut the Candy Melts in half to use for the mouths. Carefully spoon mixture into a piping bag that is fitted with a large round tip. Pipe in a swirling motion onto parchment paper. Add eyes and 1/2 a white Candy Melt to make face. I found it best to do these in batches. Once I had used what was in my piping bag, I added the eyes and mouth. Then went back for more of them mixture and repeated. This way, the eyes and mouth would stay on as the fudge sets quite quickly once it is piped out.

It’s all in the details …

~ Laura ~ Leave a comment

I had the pleasure of creating two cakes for a logo dessert auction a few weeks ago. I decided to have one presented from my blog and one in coordination with my blog and my place of employment. One of our core values is Community – what better way than to demonstrate this than to participate in the auction.

15095069_574277656112600_5298245113177960289_nI knew when I decided to participate in the auction that I would make a candy cake – as those are always a big hit – I mean come on … who doesn’t love them some candy! The second cake I decided on the “Lumberjack Cake,” which has not only taken the internet by storm, but also has been tagged with my name on Facebook many times by friends and family. I decided to forgo the axe and use simple ribbon to accent this great looking cake.

15085701_574316222775410_4655919799120926257_nFor those who are not familiar with the “Lumberjack Cake” it is a red and black checkered cake to simulate plaid and the outside looks like a tree stump. For obvious reasons, I didn’t cut into the cake to see the checkered effect, but I will be making another one in the very near future just so I can cut it open and see it!

It amazed me how many compliments I received on these cakes by coworkers and friends after I had posted photos online of the cakes, and it’s all in the details! Simple details!

For the candy cake, I made a chocolate cake and frosted it with a chocolate buttercream. I then used King Sized Kit-Kats to wrap around the cake. I broke them into two segment pieces and placed them side-by-side with the flat side toward the buttercream. Once they were set, I wrapped a ribbon around and tied it tightly to ensure the Kit-Kats stayed upright! Then I simply placed the GIGANTIC Hershey Kiss on top and proceeded to place candy around it. I did use scissors  to open each candy bar and push down the wrapper so that I could stick the candy bar into the cake to keep it upright. I filled in the open spaces with M&Ms. The baking and cooling time were the longest parts of putting this cake together! This type of cake is a visual crowd pleaser. Kids go nuts for it (I think because they think they get to eat all the candy!). I don’t necessarily think that anyone would eat the cake AND all the candy on this cake – no judgement if you do! – however, I look at this similar to fondant. Does anyone actually eat the fondant and/or all the details made from fondant?

For the “Lumberjack Cake” I made a vanilla cake colored red, maroon and black, and I used my Wilton Checkerboard pan set. I colored my same chocolate buttercream black and used that to put between the three layers of cake and then used the plain chocolate buttercream to frost the rest of the cake. I used Giant Sized Hershey bars to make the “bark” on this cake. I simply held the bar up to the cake to measure how much needed to be removed and cut it off. I then used large end of a piping tip to “chop” up the end to make it look uneven and broken. To make the grooved marks to simulate bark I took a writing piping tip and simply drew lines up and down and sideways onto the flat side of the candy bar. I put the Hershey side towards the buttercream. To give it a little depth and dimension a dipped a piece of parchment into some white candy melts and gently wiped it over the grooved marks. Once all the pieces were done, I wrapped the cake in them and secured the bottom with a ribbon. For the top, to simulate rings – I just darkened my chocolate buttercream with a little more chocolate ganache and piped circles on the top and used an offset spatula to smear it all together – turing the cake as I held the spatula to the buttercream.

Two impressive cakes, that honestly didn’t take me long at all once I had figured out what I was going to do! It’s all in details for these two cakes, and those details were easily done.

 

Out Living …

~ Laura ~ Leave a comment

Last years birthday was an odd one for me – turning the same age my father was when he passed away. It was such an indescribable feeling. This January will mark year 28 without him. Since he passed away when I was 6 years old, I honestly have only really known life without him. I cherish what I remember, but I still mourn him. I haven’t come to a place where I outwardly celebrate his life in his remembrance. Maybe it’s because I was so young and only remember so much. I am no longer bitter about my dad’s death – I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason, good or bad, and I know it may take awhile to find the reason.

This year I am officially older than my dad. WOW. Again, I can’t even put into words the feelings that bubble up over this. So when words fail me (which isn’t very often I might ad), baking does not. I put my energy and effort into some surprise delivery cupcakes and planning a mid-week birthday treat.

On Sunday I baked a luscious lemon batch of cupcakes and filled them with a blueberry sauce and piped on the most perfectly paired lemon cream cheese buttercream. I used a new piping tip – which made me relive my ice cream cone filling days in high school.  I used my extra large cupcake liners to ensure some indulging would happen as these pretty perfect cupcakes were delivered. Monday afternoon was definitely made better for a local business. A surprise thank you and acknowledgement of helpfulness. The world can use some more of these types of visits!

14731392_557930124414020_7930662054414118044_nOn Tuesday evening I baked a decadent chocolate cupcake filled with chocolate espresso ganache and piped on a mountain of espresso buttercream. The only request from the birthday co-worker was lots of chocolate. I think I delivered with this 1:1 cupcake to frosting ratio goodie!

Biscoff Fudge + Mini Chocolate Chips = Cookie Dough Fudge

~ Laura ~ Leave a comment

Sometimes I get ideas and unintentionally they morph into to something fantabulous. Last night was one of these times. I had a few jars of Biscoff Cookie Spread in my cupboard itching to turn into something tasty. I was sitting a work dreaming of what I could whip up when I got home and it hit me — FUDGE! Why have I not tried making Biscoff fudge before??!! So it started. I love eating a spoonful of Biscoff with a few chocolate chips studded through it so I figured, why not throw in my half bag of mini chocolate chips into the fudge and behold – I made a fudge that tastes EXACTLY like raw cookie dough. EUREKA! This stuff is addicting.

This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled to suit your sweet tooth needs. This would also be a great substitute for a holiday plate instead of peanut butter fudge (even if you chose not to add the chocolate chips!).

INGREDIENTS:
12 oz. white chocolate chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
3/4 jar Biscoff Cookie Spread
1 cup powder sugar, sifted (this matters!)
3-5 oz. mini chocolate chips (optional)

img_1789DIRECTIONS:
Line a 11 x 7 pan with parchment (this will save you a lot of work). In a large and heavy saucepan combined white the first four ingredients. Melt over medium heat. Make sure to stir constantly and get the bottom of the pan while stirring. It only takes a few minutes for this to burn due to the high sugar content. Once the mixture is melted and smooth, remove from heat and stir in sifted powdered sugar (if you don’t sift it you risk having lumps of pure powdered sugar studding your fudge – no good). After this is fully combined work quickly if you are adding the chocolate chips, which will melt and swirl through the fudge. Pour into prepared pan and cool at room temp until set. Cut and ENJOY!

You can choose to pour the chocolate chips over the top after it has been poured into the pan, or you can used chunky Biscoff spread, or crumbled Biscoff cookies, Heath Toffee Bits … the add-in possibilities are ENDLESS!

Crack is Whack!

~ Laura ~ Leave a comment

14330005_541525546054478_6368766877253801155_nMost people associate this recipe with the holidays. Actually, I feel that a lot of people associate homemade baked goods with the holidays in general. Whether it be that holidays are special so people make homemade treats to spoil their loved ones or that we take a little more time around the holidays to do special things – like bake from scratch. This recipe is definitely in the top 15 of “What My Grandma Use To Make.”

This is a spin on “Christmas Crack” that uses saltines and sometimes nuts. This version uses honey graham crackers and toffee bits, along with the traditional butter, brown sugar and chocolate chips.

I stumbled across this version when the other half of my baking brain posted it on Twitter,14322483_541525449387821_271727704957805018_n and am I ever glad I did! This is such a quick and easy recipe. Six ingredients for this version – S-I-X! This and the fact that I almost always have these items in the house make it deadly, but I know how addicting it is … so I most likely share it each time I make it.

Speaking of sharing … this would be a perfect item to bring to a cookie swap or to make as part of a goodie platter. DO IT! You won’t regret it … unless you eat most of it, then you might!

Click here for the recipe from the original source.

For others enJOYment!

~ Laura ~ Leave a comment

I was blessed these past few weeks by friends. I was asked by three people to created sweet treats for them to pass on to others. First it was Finding Dory cupcakes for a friend’s sweet daughter’s birthday party, then a celebratory cake for a local business celebrating 68 years in business and then a birthday cake for a husband for his 30th!

It is honestly the little things in life that I feel give back the most joy! I was honored and flattered that people took time to find me and ask me to make these fun treats!

IMG_1315First it was a red, white and blue swirled vanilla cake frosted with a simple vanilla buttercream, decked out with a fondant and buttercream logo.

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14051757_529241247282908_4703062274308682897_nSecond was 24 Finding Dory cupcakes – 12 chocolate, 12 vanilla, frosted with vanilla buttercream, topped with cute candy decorations (Pop Rocks, Starburst coral and fondant seaweed, and sticker characters from the movie.

14089098_532174600322906_2598572795207425712_nThird was a chocolate and peanut butter explosion cake! Chocolate cake frosted with peanut butter buttercream topped with chocolate ganache and chopped up peanut butter cups.

I was asked recently if I get joy out of baking simply for the act of baking or do I get joy out of the happiness it brings to others. It’s both. I love how I can get lost in baking like I can in a good book. It clears my head, sets my soul at ease and brings my heart all kinds of happiness. I also love the look on someones face as they bite into something I have made them that makes their taste buds do a happy dance. So if you are having a bad day do what brings you joy!