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March 29th, 2010
The Easter Basket Goes To….
March 28th, 2010
Cupcakes—the gooey version.
So a few days ago I asked Jessica what kind of cupcakes she wanted for her birthday. Her response, “yellow with chocolate icing.” Well, I had hoped she might want something a little more exciting, so that I could get a little experimental, but alas, she wanted the most plain cupcake of all time. Well, I just couldn’t let that happen. I determined I had to do something a little extra to the cupcakes.
I got to thinking about a cake that Mama makes where she pours condensed milk all over the cake. So I decided to give that a try with the cupcakes. So I made some yellow and some chocolate. When they were fresh out of the oven, I poked a hole with a wooden spoon in each cupcake. I only went about 3/4 of the way down because I didn’t want to totally split them in half. Then I took a can of condensed milk, and drizzled some down into each cupcake. Now all total there were 48 cupcakes, and I used probably 2/3 of the can. Looking back, I probably could have used the whole thing and it would have been fine, but I was afraid of overkill. Then I covered them in foil and let them sit overnight.
Now, the frosting I used is a whole other kind of delicious. Basically, you take a can of whatever frosting you like (I used the chocolate kind that has Hershey’s chocolate in it), a brick of room temperature cream cheese, and a small tub of Cool Whip. Beat all of these together in a large bowl until they are smooth and creamy. If you want to, you can make it ahead and refrigerate it. The chocolate ended up being much lighter in color, but still had a delicious chocolaty flavor. Be prepared to want to do nothing but stand there and eat the frosting by the spoonful. Not that I would do anything that crazy, but I mean come on you HAVE to taste as you go. And sometimes you have to taste like 8 spoonfuls to make sure it’s perfect. Don’t judge me!
Now, be aware that you could do this exact same thing with a regular cake of any flavor, just poke holes over the hole cake and pour the can of condensed milk over it. You can mix up that frosting recipe with any flavor of frosting, including a can of cream cheese frosting if y0u are just in the mood for the creamiest cream cheese frosting ever on the planet. The cupcakes were a hit, and the only part Jessica didn’t like was that I apparently didn’t pack enough for our road trip.
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March 26th, 2010
It Was OK.
That was the opinion of the Rodmeister regarding the New York Cheesecake I made for his birthday. Yesterday I wrote about using a new recipe and new pan (Pampered Chef, love the pan. The handles are great) and wasn’t sure how it would all turn out. Add the company, laughter, and pies made by Ninny and you have a perfect birthday dinner.
Before we ate I wanted to snap a few pictures. The ones who will sit for hours in a tree in freezing weather in the early morning hours said it was too cold to go outside, so I just snapped a few inside.
Then we ate!
We had meatloaf, mashed potatoes, pinto beans, and cornbread. Almost everyone saved room for the desserts.
Raisin Pie
Sweet Potato Pie
Cheesecake.
Yes, it cracked. I’ve read more than I ever wanted to know about how to prevent this and yet it still cracks. We thought it looked like the devil, or Plankton.
The recipe said the Cheesecake should be brown on the outside while light and fluffy in the middle. This appearance didn’t go over well with the fam. They like things to always stay the same. They ate it though and said it tasted really good.
Now for the recipe.
One of the main difference started with the crust. This crust was baked while previous ones have been mixed, then frozen. I couldn’t tell any difference in taste or texture. To make the crust mix 2 C. graham cracker crumbs, 1/2 C. of butter, and 1/4 C. of sugar. Mix well and press into springform pan. You can chill or bake at 325º for 10 minutes.
The filling ingredients:
- 2-1/2 pounds cream cheese (at room temperature)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1-3/4 cup sugar
- 1/8 tsp. salt, 2 tsp. lemon juice
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 large egg yolks
- 6 large eggs
Cut the cream cheese into small chunks and place the pieces into work bowl of a standing mixer. (My standing mixer died and it is fine to use a handmixer. Use a large bowl. I still used the one from the stand) Beat the cheese on low until smooth, about two or three minutes. It may be easier to beat half the cream cheese first, followed by the second half. Once the cheese is smooth, add the salt and about a third of the sugar. Beat until integrated and scrape down the sides. Add another third of the sugar and continue to mix until the sugar is mixed in. Then add the final third of sugar and mix in. Optionally, three tablespoons of flour can be added with the sugar to help add a bit of stability to the cake. Adding flour will not affect the taste or texture of the cake, but will reduce the likelihood of a cracked cake. Addthe lemon juice and vanilla extract and mix.
Scrape the sides down and add the heavy cream. The cheese should be much easier to work with at this point.
Add the egg yolks and mix until they are blended in.
Now add three whole eggs and mix until the eggs have been completely mixed into the filling. Scrape down the sides and beat in the final three eggs. Now, pour the filling into the springform pan onto the cooled crust. A 10-inch pan should fill up to almost its rim with this filling. Lift the pan an inch or two above your counter or cutting board and drop it to bring any bubbles trapped inside to the surface. Place the springform pan onto a sheetpan (for easy handling and safety), and slide into the middle of an oven preheated to 500°F.
After ten minutes, reduce the temperature to 200°F and allow the cheesecake to bake as the oven gradually reduces temperature. Bake the cheesecake about 1 hour and 40 minutes. Don’t open the oven door while this is baking.
The cake should be cooked gradually. Set it on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. After a about ten minutes, run a paring knife along the rim of the cake to release it from the walls of the pan. Let it set on the counter for serveral hours, then chill in the refrigerator for several hours before serving.
That was hard to even get typed on here! Yes, it is a lot of work but worth it for an occasional treat. Or a birthday.
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March 25th, 2010
Two Birthdays For The Price Of One
Today is the day my wonderful husband drew his first breath in this world. Also the day our brother, Chad, was born. Both have a highly sensitive palate and share many of the same tastes in food, often resulting in unnecessary remarks about my cooking.
On birthdays I ignore such and plow on through. This year my honey chose to have a New York Cheescake made from scratch for his special dessert. I’ve made them for him quite a few times, and often tweak the ingredients here and there. This time, I tried a completely different recipe.
Before
I also used my new Pampered Chef springform pan. My last one was old, bent, and scraped in places. This one has a glass bottom and I have no idea how it will work. (I’m covering my bases on this)
Tonight we will try the cheesecake, along with meatloaf, pinto beans, cornbread, and homemade mashed potatoes. For now, a few pictures of the birthday boy. I will be nice and not post any of him sporting a Hannah Montana wig trying to look like Bret Michaels.
March 21st, 2010
Hopping Down The Bunny Trail…
…with prizes!
Easter has always been one of my favorite times of year. When we were kids it was a big time with frilly new dresses, colorful baskets and big family dinners. We want to share our love of the holiday by sharing a collection of goodies we have put together.
Everything (except my three tiered stand)
Beaded egg.
cupcake liners
Happy Bunny chapstick
Cluckers.
Swedish Fish Eggs
There are also some bunny pens, Peeps, Dove dark chocolate eggs, and a tin basket. There might have been Reece’s Peanut Butter Eggs, but I can’t find them.
So, to be entered to win, leave a note telling what your favorite Easter treat is. (Mine, peanut butter eggs) If you are a grouch and hate holidays but still want to enter, just leave a blank note. Enter by March 28th, and we will announce the winner and ship the prize on March 29th!
