April Fool's Day guys!!!
Welcome back!!! After a long absence from my comfy seat and coffee, writing corner I am back. I owe you too many apologies that it's becoming a bad habit. Still, despite the short sabatical I have much to report on my culinary adventures and messy ways. When last we met, birthday cakes were the hype of the week, with my dad's Coconut Cream Cake success, a Red Velvet Beauty and a decadent Black Magic Cake. I repeated the Black Magic Cake and this time, I relished in the heaven that is an all chocolate madness. I frosted the cake in a delicious Chocolate Frosting that was just the perfect combination for the moist cake. My dad complained that he wasn't going to be able to try it, as it was a cake order. He insists on not liking chocolate but we all know that's a little white lie.
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| Decadence and elegance all wrapped up in chocolate |
Easter Week was upon us and while many left the city on vacation, we stayed home. To everyone's surprise, the week brought much rain to almost every part of the country, messing up the beach people's happiness. Friday I came down with an ear/throat infection and antibiotics were on my menu. It was a horrible day, when even walking felt like moving a mountain. I am trying to recall how on Earth I managed to finish an Apple Spice Cake order I had, when I'd spent 3/4 of the day in bed, not able to sleep, as my head felt like a pile of lead. When I woke up Saturday, I couldn't believe how great I felt. The moment I woke up, I left my bed and just walked around the house. It's funny how we take for granted the feeling well days and resent them the minute we get sick. Life is great and we have to enjoy every day to fullest.
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| They looked so cute in the aluminum cupcake liners |
Tuesday I filled my kitchen with the wonderful smell of mocha brownies and mini "those chocolate creme filled cookies" cheesecakes in the oven. A cake order had come in for Wednesday and I was busy messing up the counters with flour and cookie crumbs. A Farm Girl's Dabbles and The Girl Who Ate Everything take credit for the fabulous recipes and while I agree with my sister on being a tad more creative and experimenting with my own recipes, it doesn't ever hurt to try out recipes that have received amazing reviews. With the brownies, I made the whole batch, but instead of making mini bites, I used one of my cutters to make 12 individual sized brownies. They fit perfectly in the cupcake liners and looked divine with the Kahlua Buttercream piped on top. For the cheesecakes, I made half the recipe to yield 15 individual cheesecakes. Because the order was for 12 of each, we got to try the cheesecakes and the brownies. All packed and ready to go, they were delivered and both, the customer and myself were content with the results.
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| Don't they look divine? |
We were invited to dinner Wednesday evening and because I still had a brownie batch looking like Swiss cheese, I made mini brownie bites. Some made with a tiny cutter and the remaining ones rolled in sugar. Not one was left. They were a hit. The days flew by, having fun laughing in the company of great friends. Saturday we had a full house as my mom hosted a barbecue and we invited friends over as well. To satisfy the sweet teeth, I made lemon filled, cream cheese cookies, rolled in pecan nuts aka Lemon Delights. Sadly, I don't have the recipe on hand, but I pinky promise I'll post it next Monday. I made a large batch, which I assumed would be enough and I stored the remaining dough. I'm happy to say they were gone within minutes, but people asked for more and while the ingredients were there, my laziness got the better part of me and I focused on my platter of meat instead *guilty gulp*.
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| Pecan rolled, lemon filled, cream cheese delights |
Sunday was a quiet day. I spent the entire day at home, until the evening. After I baked the first batch of lemon squares for an order, we left for the cinema and watched one of the best movies I've seen in a while: The Croods. Yes, people, it's an animated film and you'll be kicking yourselves if you don't watch it ASAP. I got home and quickly fixed up the second batch before I headed to bed. Monday greeted us with a grey sky, which as you know, I love. I just need to make a quick stop at the market to hurry home and finish the Lemon Squares. They're gonna be awesome. :) So I thank you for stopping by and be sure to come back next week for the recipes of both lemon desserts. Also, be sure to try the following recipes. They're delicious!!!
Until next time.
xx
Espresso Brownies with Kalhua Buttercream
from A Farm Girl's Dabbles
Yield: as many as you wish to make
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| For those leftover bits: try making mini ones and rolling the rest in sugar |
Ingredients:
Brownie Batch:
1/2 c. unsalted butter, diced
- 3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
- 1-1/2 c. sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tsp. instant espresso powder
- 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 3/4 c. flour
Kahlua Buttercream:
Preparation:
Brownie Batch:
Preheat oven to 325°. Fold a long piece of heavy foil into a 13" wide strip and fit it inside a 9"x13" metal baking pan, leaving foil overhang on the 2 long sides. Spray the foil with nonstick spray.
Stir the butter and chocolate in a large heavy saucepan over very low heat until chocolate is melted. Remove from heat and whisk in the sugar, and then the eggs, 1 at a time. Whisk in espresso powder, vanilla, and salt. Then sift the flour over the chocolate mixture and stir to blend well. Transfer batter to prepared pan.
Bake brownies until slightly puffed and dry-looking and tester inserted into center comes out with some moist batter attached, about 20 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on rack.
*Run a knife around the inside edge of the brownie pan. Use the overhanging foil as an aid and gently lift the brownies from the pan. The pan I used produces a brownie that is 1/2" thick. Be sure your round cutter is taller than 1/2". Press round cutter (mine is 1-3/8" in diameter) firmly into the cooled brownie. Use a thin metal spatula to lift the cookie cutter filled with brownie from the foil. Gently press the brownie out of the cutter. Repeat the cutting process until your brownie looks like a big piece of swiss cheese.
Kahlua Buttercream:
Add butter to a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Add cream and mix to combine. In a small bowl, combine Kahlua and espresso powder, stirring briskly with a spoon to dissolve the espresso powder. Add Kahlua mixture to butter and mix again. With mixer on low speed, add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing until smooth after each addition. Beat a bit, until light and fluffy.
*Spoon buttercream into a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip (I used Wilton #12). Add a little kiss of buttercream to the top of each brownie bite. Finish by dusting top of buttercream lightly with cinnamon by shaking cinnamon through a fine mesh strainer.
Note: If you don't want to pipe on the little buttercream kisses, you could easily spread some buttercream onto the top of each brownie bite, and then finish with a dusting of cinnamon.
* These are considerations by the author. If you wish to explore with other shapes and other piping nozzles, feel free. I used a plain #8 tip for the buttercream and a much larger cutter for the brownies. Also, I left my brownie in the oven for 25 minutes.
Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes
From The Girl Who Ate Everything
Yield: 30 Individual Cheesecakes
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| The perfect sized cheesecake |
Ingredients:
42 chocolate, cream filled cookies, 30 left whole and 12 coarsely chopped
2 pounds (32 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup sour cream
pinch of salt
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 275°. Line standard muffin pans with liners. Place 1 whole cookie in the bottom of each liner.
Beat cream cheese at medium speed using an electric mixer. Gradually add the sugar, beating until combined. Beat in vanilla.
Drizzle in eggs, a bit at a time. Beat in sour cream and salt. Stir in chopped cookies by hand.
Divide batter evenly among cookie-lined cups, filling each almost to the top. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until filling is set, about 22 minutes.
*Transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Refrigerate at least 4 hours (or up to overnight). Remove from tins just before serving. Best served really cold! You can garnish with fresh whipped cream and crumbled Oreos if desired.
*I left mine overnight in the cupcake tin and simply garnished them with crumbled cookies.
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