Patriotic Fruit Pops

Posted on June 28, 2015 by Lorinda

When my blogging group decided to go with a traditional red, white, and blue theme for our recipes this month, the thought of turning on the oven made me break into a sweat, so I opted for frozen fruit bars for the 4th of July, and for the hot days ahead. Easy instructions are below, and you’ll also find the links to the other bloggers’ posts. Hope you’ll check each one out!

Blended strawberries, lemon, and blueberries are layered in molds for a red, white, and (mostly) blue ice pop. Lightly sweetened, these are a healthy alternative to store bought frozen treats.

Before I give you instructions, I have a few tips:

I originally wanted to use pineapple and coconut milk for the white layer, but it took too much pineapple to achieve a flavorful mixture, which made it yellow…and I really wanted white. So, lemon and coconut were my Plan B, which worked beautifully. You could also add a bit of Greek Yogurt if you’d like. Heavy cream will curdle. (Ask me how I know.)
You can make these without the gelatin, but they will be a little bit icier. Your call!
The blueberry layer is blended, and has a bit of a pulpy texture. I don’t mind it at all, but if you do you can try straining it before adding the gelatin mixture – and then add a little juice or water to make at least 6 ounces.
Speaking of blueberries, I used my favorite frozen Wild blueberries, which were a lot more burgundy than blue…more the color of huckleberries. Try using regular blueberries for a truer blue color.
Make sure you give each color adequate freezer time before adding the next layer, and keep the molds level. That will give you nice, crisp lines between each layer.

Here’s how I made these refreshing pops:

Patriotic Fruit Pops

Author: The Rowdy Baker

This recipe makes six 3-ounce frozen pops. There may be a little of each flavor left over. If so, pour it into a paper cup or ice cube tray and freeze just as you would the pops. These are great to drop into a glass of sparkling water! You will need less than 1 package of gelatin for all three flavors. Gelatin may be omitted, but the frozen treats will have a slightly icier texture.

Ingredients

RED:
1 tablespoon cold water
¼ teaspoon powdered gelatin (like Knox)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons hot water
1 cup strawberries, fresh or frozen
WHITE:
1 tablespoon cold water
¼ teaspoon powdered gelatin (like Knox)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon hot water
Juice of 1 large lemon
coconut milk added to lemon to equal ¾ cup
BLUE:
1 tablespoon cold water
¼ teaspoon powdered gelatin (like Knox)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons hot water
1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

Instructions

RED:
In a small bowl or ramekin, sprinkle ¼ teaspoon gelatin over 1 tablespoon cold water. Allow mixture to sit for 5 minutes.
Add sugar and hot water and stir thoroughly. Microwave on high for 10 seconds. Stir and set aside.
In a blender or food processor, blend the strawberries until smooth. Add the warm gelatin mixture and blend briefly. If mixture is too thick to pour or spoon into molds, add 1 tablespoon water and blend.
Fill molds ⅓ full and freeze for 2 hours, or until firm.
WHITE:
In a small bowl or ramekin, sprinkle ¼ teaspoon gelatin over 1 tablespoon cold water. Allow mixture to sit for 5 minutes.
Add 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1 tablespoon hot water and stir thoroughly. Microwave on high for 10 seconds. Stir and set aside.
Put lemon juice in a measuring cup and add gelatin mixture. Add coconut milk to equal ¾ cups liquid.
Remove molds from freezer and add about the same amount of lemon mixture as the strawberry. This should fill the molds approximately ⅔ full.
Freeze for approximately 1 hour. The object is to have it firm but not totally solid, so the handle or stick will be able to penetrate the second layer if necessary.
BLUE:
In a small bowl or ramekin, sprinkle ¼ teaspoon gelatin over 1 tablespoon cold water. Allow mixture to sit for 5 minutes.
Add sugar and hot water and stir thoroughly. Microwave on high for 10 seconds. If you are using lemon juice, add now. Stir and set aside.
In a blender or food processor, blend the blueberries until smooth. Add the warm gelatin mixture and blend briefly. If mixture is too thick to pour or spoon into molds, add 1 tablespoon water and blend.
Remove molds from the freezer and add blueberry mixture to the "fill" line. Add handles or sticks.
Freeze until totally firm - overnight if possible.
Remove pops from molds, running molds under warm water if necessary to release the treats.

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Soften gelatin in cold water.

Blend the strawberry mixture and add to molds.

Combine lemon, coconut milk, and gelatin mixture.

Add lemon to frozen strawberry.

Blend the blueberries.

Not blue…but pretty. For a true blue, don’t use wild blueberries!

Yeah, baby!

Now, for some other great Independence Day ideas, take a look at THESE posts:

(Links will be live on June 29th.)
From Crumbs in My Mustachio: Star Spangled Cannoli
From Tampa Cake Girl: Red, White Chocolate, and Blueberry Cheesecake
From Moore or Less Cooking Blog: Easy Butter Cake With Berries
From Cooking From a Stay at Home Mom: Patriotic Pie

Tender Yucateco Pork

Posted on April 23, 2015 by Lorinda

I’m sure we’ve all experienced a moment where a whiff of fragrance transports us back in time . I chased a woman down the mall once to find out what perfume she was wearing, because it was the same scent my preschool teacher wore! Our sense of smell remembers and teases us with quick trips to the past.

When I pondered what to make for a Cinco de Mayo roundup with my blogger friends, a dish my son and I prepared during my recent visit to California was the obvious choice (even though it has nothing at all to do with baking). At the time we couldn’t find achiote paste, so had to make a homemade version in our own freestyle way. But this time (thanks to Amazon) I have the real stuff, and HOO BABY, does it smell delicious. When I opened the package I was instantly taken back to a family vacation in Cozumel when I was fifteen years old. That was a long, long time ago. There was a hotel/restaurant down the beach where we ate often, and this…THIS is the exact aroma I remember. Heavenly. (Wistful sigh here.) I jazzed up the Xni-pec topping, adding carrots and red cabbage for more crunch. It’s similar to cole slaw, only spicier. A dollop of sour cream on the top cools it down a bit. Speaking of cooling it down a bit, you know you should always wear gloves when working with peppers, right? I know this too. I do. But right now I’m housesitting at a friend’s place and didn’t have access to disposable gloves – and it was just one little jalapeno pepper, right? From experience I can tell you that if you rub your eye after cutting up a jalapeno pepper, you will need to wash it out thoroughly with milk. ‘Nuff said.

Tender Yucateco Pork

Author: The Rowdy Baker

Ingredients

4-5 pound pork shoulder blade roast
2 ounces achiote paste
6 cloves fresh garlic, peeled
½ red onion (save the other half for the Xni-pec)
Juice from 1 lime
½ cup orange juice
1 Tablespoon orange zest
½ cup apple cider vinetar
¼ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon oregano
10 whole cloves (or ¼ teaspoon ground)
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half (or ¼ teaspoon ground)
8 whole allspice (or ¼ teaspoon ground)
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped - or more to taste
XNI-PEC:
2 cups chopped red cabbage
½ red onion, chopped
1 habanero pepper, chopped finely
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped finely
1 cup grated carrot
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon allspice
½ teaspoon sugar
Juice of 1 lime
Chopped cilantro, if desired

Instructions

Place pork in a large crock pot.
Put in a blender: achiote paste, garlic, onion, lime juice, orange juice, orange zest, vinegar, cumin, chili powder, pepper, salt, and oregano. Blend until smooth. Pour over the meat.
Sprinkle with cloves, cinnamon stick, allspice, and chopped pepper..
Cover and cook on high for one hour. Turn heat to low and cook for 5 hours, or until meat is fall-apart tender, turning the meat over once during the cook time. Remove the pork to a platter or baking dish and shred, using 2 forks. Remove and discard any large pieces of fat or whole spices. Strain the juice from the crock pot to remove whole spices and return the juice and meat to the pot, keeping it on warm until you are ready to serve.
Combine all of the ingredients for the Xni-pec. Allow to sit for 15-20 minutes to allow flavors to blend.
Serve the pork in hot corn tortillas. Top with xni-pec and a little sour cream.

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The leftover juices in the crock pot make a wonderful base for a spicy Mexican soup! Trust me – you’ll want to freeze this for later. Just ladle off the fat from the surface, or chill in the refrigerator to make it easy to remove the solidified fat and freeze in an airtight container.

Put goodies in blender.

Blend until smooth.

Pour over pork in crock pot.

Sprinkle with peppers and whole spices.

Separate meat with forks and strain the sauce.

Shred meat with forks and strain the sauce.

Return meat to sauce. Keep warm until ready to serve

As always, feel free to change this recipe to suit your taste. I’m kind of wimpy when it comes to hot, spicy foods, so I kept the heat down to a reasonably fiery level. You may want to add more peppers to your batch. I’m also thinking of adding a bit of dark chocolate to the crock pot next time for another layer of flavor. Pile the pork on a tortilla, top with Xni-pec and a little sour cream (chopped tomatoes are nice, too) and enjoy!

For five other delicious Cinco de Mayo recipes, please visit these amazing pages:

From Tampa Cake Girl: Margarita Cheesecake

From Hun, What’s For Dinner?: Dessert Chimichangas

From Crumbs in my Mustachio: Easy Taco Salad

From Cooking from a SAHM: Easy Salsa

From Moore or Less Cooking Blog: Chicken Fajitas

Pot o’ Gold Cupcakes

Posted on March 15, 2015 by Lorinda

If you’re looking for a last minute idea for St. Patrick’s Day, here are some delightful cupcakes. They are filled with ganache made with Irish Cream, but if you’re making these for the kidlings, you can use regular heavy cream instead.

Here’s the recipe, but if you’re in a hurry and need to use a cake mix, I won’t hold it against you. The important part is the filling (whooeee, it’s potent!) and the decorations.

Pot o' Gold Cupcakes

Author: The Rowdy Baker

Milk chocolate cupcakes are filled with Irish Cream ganache and decorated with buttercream icing and sour strip rainbows. Makes 24

Ingredients

GANACHE:
4 ounces good quality dark chocolate, chopped
½ cup Irish Cream liqueur (like Bailey's)
CAKE:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
1 cup white sugar
4 eggs, room temperature - divided
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup buttermilk
½ cup whole milk
2 cups cake flour
¼ cup cocoa
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoons baking soda
Green buttercream icing, sufficient to frost 24 cupcakes
Junior mints (optional to use in place of ganache for pots of gold)

Instructions

MAKE GANACHE:
In a small pan on low heat, combine the chocolate and Irish Cream. Heat and stir gently until chocolate is melted and mixture looks well blended. Set aside, stirring occasionally while the cakes are made.
MAKE CAKES:
Heat oven to 350 F.
Line 2 cupcake pans with paper liners.
In a large bowl, beat butter until creamy.
Slowly add sugar, beating continuously, and scraping bowl often. Beat until mixture is light and fluffy.
Add egg YOLKS, one at a time, mixing well between each addition.
In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the vanilla, buttermilk and whole milk.
In a small bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and baking soda.
Beginning with the dry ingredients and ending with the wet, add alternately, approximately ⅓ of each mixture at a time, scraping the side of the bowl often.
Whip egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold into the batter.
Fill cupcake cavities ⅔ full and bake for approximately 20 minutes. A toothpick should come out cleanly when inserted into the middle of a cupcake.
Cool in pans on racks for 5 minutes, and then turn out the cupcakes to cool thoroughly.
Place ganache in a piping bag with a large round tip. Press tip into the center of each cupcake, almost to the bottom, and squeeze gently while pulling the tip back out. Don't try to put too much ganache in each one; they'll crack if you do. The remaining ganache will be used to make the pots of gold.
Cover each cupcake with green buttercream icing. (I used a large closed star tip).
Pipe a round "pot" on each cupcake. With a paintbrush, add gold powder. If you don't have any, yellow frosting or candy will do. OR you can use junior mints, cut the top off so a little white shows, and "paint" it with yellow food coloring.
Place a small strip (about 3" of sour striped candy on each cupcake with one end next to the pot of gold.

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Filling the cupcakes with Irish Cream Ganache

Frost ’em purdy!

Add a little magic gold dust (or see other options in the recipe).

If you’d like more ganache in each cake, make two holes in each cake, or try unwrapping the cupcakes and squeezing the tip in the sides of the cakes.

This is the last St. Paddy’s recipe for this year. Onward….Easter is only a few weeks away!

Lorinda

Irish Pretzel Knots

Posted on March 14, 2015 by Lorinda

A little chewier than a soft pretzel, but not quite as crunchy as a hard pretzel, these beauties go perfectly with an ice cold beer. (Preferably green beer if you’re making them for St. Patrick’s Day.)

I know, I know…pretzels are German, not Irish. But “Irish Knot Pretzels” just didn’t sound as good. Pffft.

If you look at images of Irish Knots on your search engine, there are some great designs you can use. I made simple Trinity Knots and a slightly more complicated Celtic Cross. And by “slightly more complicated” I mean that if you have reasonably good spatial abilities, these will be easy. For you. I struggle with spatial concepts, so my learning curve was really, really big. Looking at a picture and deciding which part of the dough rope went over and which went under…well…let’s just say I should have made a video – just for laughs.

It took me a while, but I finally nailed it. The rest were much easier!

But YOU can do it! Of course, if you don’t want to, you can always just make pretzel bites or sticks. You could also dye the dough green, but the brown outside might have a funky hue to it.

I experimented this time with a lye bath and loved the results. Since I’ve been warned about liability issues, I can’t give you directions or advice about this. However, I will say that the pretzels were delicious. If you’re interested in using lye instead of baking soda, please spend some time searching for safety information and instructions.

Attempting to create a crunchy, hard pretzel was more challenging than I expected. I made a few small changes to my Pretzel Bomb recipe, and was pleased with the results. The pretzels pictured are slightly crunchy with a nice, chewy texture. But being stubborn, I was determined to get more crunch, and learned that putting them back in the oven for an hour at very low heat dried them out satisfactorily. For the record, The Man preferred the chewy version, liking them even more than soft pretzels.

Irish Pretzel Knots

Author: The Rowdy Baker

Ingredients

1 can (12 ounces) beer(or 1½ cups water)
4 teaspoons brown sugar, divided
1 package active dry yeast
1 tablespoon softened butter
2 teaspoons salt
3½ cups bread flour
9 cups water
½ cup baking soda
1 egg whisked well with 1 teaspoon water (egg wash)
Coarse salt

Instructions

Heat oven to 350 F.
Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Heat beer until very warm - about 110 degrees.
In a large bowl (preferably using a stand mixer), combine warm beer, 1 teaspoon of the brown sugar, and yeast. Let sit for 6-8 minutes, or until bubbly.
Add remaining sugar, butter, salt, and 3 cups of the bread flour. Mix well.
Slowly add remaining flour. Dough should come cleanly away from the side of the bowl, and will feel slightly tacky. If it's STICKY, add a little more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Knead well - at least 5 minutes if you're using a mixer with a dough hook, or 8 minutes by hand. This will make the dough elastic.
Work with small amounts of the dough at a time, using your hands to roll out thin ropes - about 18 inches long, if possible. Avoid rolling on a floured surface; you need friction! Try slightly spritzing your work surface with water or lightly buttering your hands before rolling.
Create shapes with the ropes of dough. Use the blog photos to form Irish knots, or make your own creations. Set shapes aside until you have enough for one baking sheet.
Bring water and soda to a boil in a large pot. Drop pretzels into water, a few at a time, for 30-40 seconds. Lift with a slotted spoon or spider, and set on prepared pan. Brush lightly with egg wash and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 30 minutes, or until very dark brown. Repeat with remaining pretzels.
To achieve crunchier pretzels, return to oven set at 250 F for up to 1 hour. Test after ½ hour. If the pretzels are close to being dry, turn off oven and let them sit until cooled.

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The first half of the knot.

Another view…about 4 inches long.

Add second half.

An easier option – the Trinity Knot

What else can I tell you? I don’t let the dough rise first for these pretzels, because I’m looking for more crunch and less puffiness. If you’re after a soft pretzel, let the dough rise once for about an hour, punch down, and form your pretzels. Let them rest for 30 minutes before dipping or boiling them.
Keep your extra dough covered while you’re working. A damp cloth is good – even over the pretzels you’ve laboriously shaped while you’re working on enough for a full baking sheet. If the dough in the bowl rises, just punch it down and use it. Or you can let it sit, covered, in the fridge. Work as quickly as you can, but if you’re falling behind, the refrigerator is your friend.

I hope you’ll have fun with these. They’re good any time, of course, not just for St. Patrick’s Day.

Lorinda

Drunken Leprechaun Balls

Posted on March 11, 2015 by Lorinda

Yes, you read that correctly; I’m posting a recipe for Leprechaun Balls. There are so many jokes that will be left unsaid…probably.

These green confections are quite (ahem) firm – a cross between fudge and cookies. To make them you will need to bake a batch of green shortbread cookies, but trust me…the cookie recipe is very easy, and the balls are a slam dunk! What more could you ask for this St. Patrick’s Day?

My shortbread recipe makes a little more than you’ll need, so you should end up with 6-8 extra cookies to munch on. I tried rolling the dough out on a cookie sheet and baking it in one piece, which worked pretty well, but it’s harder to get the center of the dough cooked completely that way. So…I recommend you make cookies, even if they’re just squares of dough. You’ll be crushing most of them, so the shape doesn’t matter.

Drunken Leprechaun Balls

Author: The Rowdy Baker

Green shortbread is baked and crushed, then blended with Irish Cream Liqueur and Whiskey for a tasty adult treat. Makes about 36.

Ingredients

SHORTBREAD:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
¾ cup powdered sugar
1 egg yolk
green food coloring
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon milk (if needed)
BALLS:
3 cups crushed green shortbread (recipe above)
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup powdered sugar
pinch salt
2 tablespoons corn syrup
¼ cup Baileys (or other Irish Cream Liqueur)
2 tablespoons Jameson (or other whiskey)
powdered sugar and green sugar for rolling cookies in

Instructions

Heat oven to 350 F.
In a large bowl (use a stand mixer if possible; this is very stiff dough) beat the butter until soft and creamy.
Add powdered sugar and mix well.
Add egg yolk and enough food coloring to create a deep green color, beating until mixture is light and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl often.
Add dry ingredients. (If using a stand mixer, you may want to switch to your dough hook.) The mixture will be very dry and stiff but should come together into a dough. If it isn't cooperating, add milk a little at a time until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl and you can form it into a ball.
Roll dough out to about ¼-inch thick and cut into cookie shapes. (You can also form into small balls and press with a cookie stamp if you prefer. ) Place close together on baking sheets and bake for approximately 10-12 minutes. If you see a tiny bit of brown along the bottom edges, they are done. Don't overbake them, because green cookies turn an unpleasant color if they brown.
Cool cookies on a rack and crush in a bowl until you have 3 cups. Eat the rest!
BALLS:
Combine the crushed cookies, nuts, and powdered sugar in a medium bowl.
Add the remaining ingredients and stir well.
Roll scant tablespoons of dough into balls and roll them in a dish of powdered sugar and colored sugar.
Refrigerate until firm. These can be served chilled, which will give them the texture of fudge, or at room temperature, which will make them a little softer.
I'm sure you know this, but just for the record: DO NOT SERVE TO MINORS.

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Combine dry ingredients, then stir in wet ingredients.

Roll the balls gently in your palms, then dust with sugar.

By all means, improvise. Use walnuts instead of pecans, switch the booze around and use 1/4 cup of whiskey and 2 tablespoons of Irish cream (you may have to add a little more crushed cookie in this case), or roll them in coconut or sprinkles. Pop Rocks? Hmmmm.

Enjoy! And…hello? Keep ’em out of the reach of kiddies, of course.
Lorinda

For each petal on the shamrock this brings a wish your way. Good health, good luck, and happiness for today and every day. (Irish Blessing)

Petits Fours

Posted on February 13, 2015 by Lorinda

Hooo boy. Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, and I am just now getting this post up. Of course you can run to the store right now, cussing me out under your breath, or you can just adapt the recipe for St. Patrick’s Day or Easter. Or…you can take a shortcut or two, using a store-bought pound cake and even (I can’t believe I’m saying this) canned frosting for the filling. In a pinch you can skip the filling entirely; just cut the cake into cubes or hearts, dip in fondant icing, and decorate!

Yep…Sara Lee works just fine, but there are more crumbs and more waste.

Note: if you cut shapes for your petits fours, they will be a little harder to coat smoothly; baking the cakes in heart shaped pans keeps them from getting crumbly around the sides. Either way, the freezer is your friend! Freeze the little cakes before you slice and fill them, and then freeze them again before dipping.

I tried three icings for the coating: white ganache, melted white chocolate, and a poured fondant enhanced with white chocolate. Each had pros and cons, and what you choose will depend on your expectations. I wanted a thin, white icing with a little “snap” to it. I like it when the coating pops a little when I bite into a petits four. Here’s how the three options rated:

The white ganache looked lovely, but it didn’t have the “snap” I was looking for. I used Wilton’s bright white candy melts for this, and wasn’t too crazy about the taste, but the pastries looked very pretty. If you aren’t after a firm shell-like coating, this would be a good option.

Pretty and white, with fairly good coverage, but not firm enough for me.

For the melted white chocolate, I used Ghiradelli melts. They taste so much better than candy melts, and I really wanted this to work for me. I added a little coconut oil to thin the chocolate for dipping, and it went beautifully. There definitely was a satisfying “snap” when I tried one (or two). But…the color is more ivory than white, and it just didn’t look as pretty.

Nice and smooth, but ivory colored.

The third time’s the charm, right? The poured fondant was just what I wanted. It wasn’t quite as firm as the melted chocolate, but it was very pretty, tasted good, and covered well. ***DING DING DING*** – we have a winner!

Mmmmm. Just right!

The hardest part of this post is determining how much coating you might need. There are so many factors! The size of your pans determines how many pastries you will have to fill and coat. If you choose to buy a pound cake and cut it into shapes rather than baking your own, you will probably have a lot fewer petits fours to work with. I did my best, but you may have to adjust a bit, so it might be prudent to buy enough ingredients for a second batch if necessary. If you don’t need it, well…you can never have too much powdered sugar or white chocolate in your pantry, right?

I used small silicone heart-shaped pans with 24 cavities in each. Filled approximately 2/3 full, my cake recipe made about 72 hearts. Traditional petits fours are approximately 1-inch cubes, so if you want the finished hearts as tall as they are wide, you may choose to a) use more filling, b) use two hearts for thicker layers, cutting off the domed top of each, or c) cut thin slices and make three layers.

WHATEVER YOU DO, FREEZE THE CAKES BEFORE SLICING. It will make things go much more smoothly.

Here’s the recipe I used, but any pound cake or sturdy, dense cake will work well.

Strawberry Cake Mini-Hearts

Author: The Rowdy Baker

Ingredients

1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup white sugar
4 eggs, room temperature
1½ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon strawberry flavoring and a few drops of red food coloring.

Instructions

Heat oven to 350 F.
Lightly spray silicone mini-heart pans with a non-stick spray. (I prefer a flour/oil mix like Baker's Joy.)
In a large bowl, beat the butter well until light and creamy - at least 2 minutes.
Add sugar gradually and continue beating for 2 minutes.
Add eggs one at a time, beating very well and scraping the sides of the bowl between each egg.
Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together.
Add the dry ingredients and buttermilk alternately, one-third of each at a time, beginning with the dry ingredients and ending with the buttermilk. Scrape the bowl well with a rubber spatula as you go.
Stir in the flavoring and food coloring until combined.
Fill the cavities of your pans ⅔ full. Lift and drop the pans a few times to settle the batter, or smooth lightly with a knife.
Place the silicone pans on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. If a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center of a cake, and the top has begun to brown slightly, the cakes are done. Place pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes before turning the cakes out.

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For the filling, I used a couple of cups of fairly stiff buttercream icing, with a heaping tablespoon of strawberry preserves stirred in.

Slice the frozen hearts (cutting off the domed tops so they are level), generously add filling, and press the two layers together firmly. Use a knife to clean off any filling that’s pressed out, spreading it in a thin layer around the heart if you like; it will act as a crumb coat. For a clean line, it’s important not to have filling bulging out the sides, or gaps where there wasn’t enough filling.

Spread with a generous amount of filling.

Smooth for a clean edge.

After filling the hearts, place them back in the freezer while you make the coating.

For the GANACHE COATING: melt 1 package (12 ounces) of Wilton Bright White candy melts in the microwave. Begin with 30 seconds, stir, and then heat at 15 second intervals, stirring each time, just until melted. A few small lumps are fine – they’ll continue to melt in the bowl. In a small pan over medium heat, bring 1/2 cup of heavy cream almost to a boil, stopping when you see bubbles around the edge of the pan. Pour slowly over the chocolate, a little at a time, stirring constantly. Stop when the texture seems right for dipping. (You may not need the whole 1/2 cup.)

For the MELTED CHOCOLATE COATING: melt 1 package (12 ounces) of Ghiradelli White Melting Wafers in the microwave. Begin with 30 seconds, stir, and then heat at 15 second intervals until most of the wafers are melted and just small lumps remain. Add 1 tablespoon coconut oil (or shortening) and stir slowly until the chocolate is completely smooth. If necessary, put the bowl back in the microwave for a few seconds.

For the POURED CHOCOLATE FONDANT: place 1 pound powdered sugar, 1/4 cup light corn syrup, and 1/3 cup water in a medium pan over medium-low heat. Stir well until mixture is very warm but not bubbling. Remove from heat. (You could use it at this stage, as a poured fondant icing…but I wanted it whiter.) Add 1 package (12 ounces) of Wilton Bright White candy melts and stir until melted. This should be just right for dipping, but if it is too thick, add a little hot water and stir well.

I had better luck dipping my hearts than pouring the icing over them. Still, you’ll want to use a baking sheet with a cooling rack (sprayed lightly with non-stick spray) over it to keep the coating from puddling up around each pastry.

Dip, shake, turn over and slide onto rack. Repeat.

Poke a toothpick in one frozen heart and dunk it in the coating. Don’t try to completely cover the area around the toothpick; this will be the bottom of the petits four! Gently shake off excess, turn the heart over so you’re holding the toothpick like a flower stem, and use a fork to lift the heart off the toothpick and deposit it on the cooling rack to dry. Repeat many, many times.

If you have trouble removing the petits fours from the cooling rack, slide a thin metal spatula under each one. No one will look at the bottom! Also, if you set the finished petits fours on a little bed of sprinkles before you plate them or put them in paper cups, the sprinkles will stick to the bottom for a pretty effect and fun texture.

Decorate with conversation hearts, sprinkles, buttercream flowers, or chocolate designs. Store the petits fours in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Valentine Treat Collection

Posted on February 4, 2015 by Lorinda

I thought that while you were waiting anxiously for me to produce my promised Valentine’s Day Petits Fours, I’d pacify you with a collection of past V-Day treats. While you’re making all of these, I promise I’ll be working on a new post for you.

Try these delicious deep chocolate cookies! Chocolate Oatmeal Raisin Cookies have a little kick of espresso and are filled with chocolate covered raisins.

For a delicious homemade version of Mallomars, put your apron on and make a batch of Vallomar Cookies. They’re a little time-consuming, but soooooo good.

Valentine’s Day is on a Saturday this month, so you’ll have time to surprise your sweetie with these filled doughnuts. Sugared, glazed, plain…there’s nothing like a fresh doughnut! Jelly Doughnut Hearts

Cinnamon Spiral Bread is great when toasted, used for special sandwiches, or made into french toast. Bake it in a heart shaped canape pan and slice into thin hearts.

Light and fluffy, these dainty angel food cakes will just disappear in your mouth! Chocolate Cherry Angel Cakes

As if shortbread cookies aren’t rich enough, I added a chocolate ganache filling and topped them with raspberry jam. You’ve got to try these! Chocolate Raspberry Shortbread

Chocolate Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Posted on January 26, 2015 by Lorinda

I tend to like making complicated creations, even though they aren’t very popular with people who work, have kids, or have a life. But today I made something easy.

Easy and unspeakably delicious, if I do say so myself!

I gave some to my ~~guinea pig~~ neighbor, Pam and she called them Chocolate Raisin Puffs because they were so light. I don’t know if they qualify as “puffs”, but it was a very nice compliment.

These chocolate oatmeal cookies are made with espresso powder and chocolate covered raisins, and when baked for precisely twelve minutes, have a slightly crispy outer layer (like the edge of a brownie) and are very tender inside. Seriously, I’d rather have these than brownies any day!

I made some in a silicone mini-heart pan, and they popped right out in a very cooperative manner. They may not be the prettiest cookies I’ve ever made, but in this case I truly believe it’s what’s inside that counts.

I really think that the combination of Special Dark cocoa and espresso powder took the flavor over the top. And unless you have a real aversion to raisins (in which case you could use chocolate chips) don’t skimp on the chocolate covered raisins. The cookie dough isn’t overly sweet, so the sweet, chewy raisins add important texture and sweetness. Here are what the drop cookies look like inside:

Chocolate Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Author: The Rowdy Baker

Makes 36 average cookies, or 72 small heart-shaped cookies using a 24-cavity silicone heart mold. These cookies are SO addictive, you may want to double the batch.

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar, packed
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 tablespoon espresso powder
¼ cup Special Dark unsweetened cocoa powder
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups quick-cook oats
11 oz (about 1¾ cup) chocolate covered raisins

Instructions

Heat oven to 350 F
If you are making drop cookies, line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, beat together the butter and brown sugar until light and creamy - at least 2 minutes.
Add the eggs and beat 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl often. It will lighten in color and look just a little curdled; that's fine!
Add the vanilla, espresso powder, cocoa, flour, salt, and baking soda. On low speed (cover the bowl if possible, or stir by hand first to avoid a mess) mix together until well blended.
Stir in the oatmeal and chocolate covered raisins.
Drop by rounded tablespoons onto parchment. The cookies won't spread much, so an inch and a half between each is fine. If you are using a silicone heart mold, fill each cavity ¾ full. (No need to grease the mold.)
Bake for 12 minutes. Move baking sheet or silicone mold to a cooling rack and allow the cookies to cool. Cookies may be moved to the rack when barely warm. If you are making hearts, let them cool completely in the pan before turning them out.

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Beat the butter and brown sugar well.

After the eggs are beaten in. It looks a little curdled, but that’s okay!

Making heart cookies.

Scoop for regular drop cookies.

See? Easy peasy. Don’t expect that from me too often, but when a chocolate craving hits, I realize the wisdom of being able to make cookies quickly!

If I’ve lulled you into a false sense of security with this simple cookie recipe, you’d better be prepared; I have Valentine petits fours on my mind…coming soon!

Lorinda

Gingerbread Friends

Posted on December 11, 2014 by Lorinda

Gingerbread ~~Men~~ Friends? I’m being politically correct; you can’t just call them gingerbread men when some of them are obviously…not men. Right? So these little boys and girls are my buddies, especially since some of them are bearing gifts of chocolate and booze – and who doesn’t love a friend who brings you presents like that?

The cookies are really easy to make, unless you are trying to make them hold their arms out straight. I could describe all of my failed attempts, but I’ll just cut to the chase. Two methods worked for me: propping their little arms up with foil as they baked, or amputating their arms right from the get-go, and then gluing them back on with royal icing as they were decorated.

Little foil splints to hold his arms out.

Little foil splints to hold his arms in place.

Surgical option.

Alternatively, you can cut cute little shapes out of dough (gifts, stars, drums, candy canes) and wrap the gingerbread friend’s arms around it before baking. Kids would get really creative with this!

Three amigos.

Or…make them the traditional way, of course.

Here’s the recipe I used. For my second batch I used half shortening, which made the dough more stable. You can use all butter if you prefer, but it might spread a tiny bit.

Gingerbread Friends

Author: The Rowdy Baker

I can't tell you how many this will make - it depends on the size of your cutters. But it's a pretty generous recipe.

Ingredients

¼ cup butter
¼ cup shortening
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup white sugar
1 egg
½ cup molasses
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon allspice (optional)
½ teaspoon salt
2¾ cup all-purpose flour
ROYAL ICING:
1 pound powdered sugar
3 tablespoons meringue powder (found with cake decorating supplies)
½ teaspoon vanilla (I use clear vanilla for the whitest possible icing.)
6 tablespoons warm water
FOR DECORATING: melted chocolate, sprinkles, colored sugar, gold dust.

Instructions

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, shortening, brown sugar, and white sugar.
Add egg and molasses and beat well. The batter should lighten in color.
Add baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and salt. Mix well.
Stir in the flour, beating well. Make sure all of the flour is well incorporated.
Place dough in an airtight container and refrigerate at least 4 hours (overnight is better).
Heat oven to 375 F.
Roll dough approximately ¼-inch thick between sheets of parchment.
Cut out shapes and place on parchment covered baking sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes, depending on how soft or crunchy you want them.
Slide parchment onto a cooling rack and cool cookies completely before decorating.
To make royal icing, combine the powdered sugar and meringue powder in a large bowl. If you have a stand mixer, I recommend you use it, with the whisk attachment.
Add the vanilla. Slowly add the water, beating continuously. Beat on medium high for 5 minutes, adding a little more water if necessary to achieve the right thickness for piping.
Place in a pastry bag with a small writing tip and pipe directly onto the cookies. A small amount can be thinned if you want to brush it on with a paintbrush. (Pink cheeks, clothing, etc.)

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Yes, yes, I forgot the baking powder. Pfffft.

Cutting out the shapes.

Occasionally you’ll get a butt-ugly one like this! Makes me laugh.

Do you give out plates of cookies and candy at Christmas? If so, why don’t you customize a gingerbread cookie with the recipient’s name for that personal touch? Personalized cookies would also be the perfect place card at a holiday meal!

I hope you’ll use your imagination and find some other fun ways of decorating your cookies. Just…lock them up well at night so they don’t wander. (I was going to insert a picture here from “Gingerdead Man”, but it was just too creepy. And I don’t want the copyright police breathing down my back.)

Lorinda

Acorn Dinner Rolls

Posted on November 22, 2014 by Lorinda

Every Thanksgiving I have the same problem: there’s just never enough room for all of the platters and bowls on the dining room table. Usually, the centerpiece has to be removed to make way for a bowl of mashed potatoes. Instead of removing it, here’s a way to have your centerpiece and eat it too!

This post is actually about the acorn rolls, but I’ll also give you instructions below for the cornucopia, which can be made up to a week ahead of time and frozen.

The acorn rolls are decorative and delicious! The crushed graham crackers in the dough give them just a hint of sweetness and add a delicate flavor.

Acorn Dinner Rolls

Author: The Rowdy Baker

Makes approximately 2 dozen acorn rolls, depending on the size you choose. If you are hoping to use the leftovers for sandwiches, skip the fancy-shmancy acorns and just roll the dough into small balls and bake them close together in a large, greased baking pan!

Ingredients

2¼ cups warm water
1 package active dry yeast
1 package graham crackers, (9 full cracker sheets) coarsely crushed
⅓ cup butter, softened
¼ cup powdered nondairy creamer (This is optional, but makes a super fluffy roll.)
1 teaspoons salt
5-6 cups bread flour
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water and 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa (egg wash)
Small stick pretzels or raw almonds cut into slivers

Instructions

Place warm water in a large bowl and sprinkle the yeast over the top. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
Add the crushed graham crackers, butter, creamer, salt, and 3 cups bread flour. Mix well.
Stir in 2 additional cups of flour. If you are using a stand mixer, switch to your dough hook and knead for 5 minutes. If the dough is not coming cleanly away from the bowl, add additional flour a little at a time. Dough should be soft but not sticky. If you are kneading by hand, drop the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 6-7 minutes, adding additional flour as necessary to achieve a soft, elastic dough.
Place dough in a large greased bowl, turning it several times to coat the dough.
Cover and allow the dough to rise until doubled in a warm location - about 1 hour.
Lightly grease (or spray with an oil/flour baking spray) 2 12-cavity cupcake pans.
Remove ⅔ of the dough and place on a lightly floured surface. Punch down the remaining dough, cover, and set aside.
Divide the dough on the floured surface into 24 equal pieces. Shape into balls. Set in prepared cupcake pans and allow to rise for 45 minutes.
Heat oven to 375 F.
After the 45 minutes is up, roll out the dough in the bowl, keeping it very thin - ¼-inch or less. Using a small biscuit cutter or wine glass, cut out 24 circles. They should be a little wider than the balls of dough in the cupcake pan.
Brush the top of each ball with a small amount of egg wash.
Place one circle at a time into the palm of your hand and, using the flat side of a knife or an onion holder, press lines in 2 or 3 directions, similar to a peanut butter cookie.
Brush with egg wash and set it on one of the balls of dough in the pan. Poke a small piece of slivered almond into the top for a stem. (If you are using pretzels, poke them into the top of each acorn after they are baked.) Repeat.
Place in the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the acorn tops are a rich brown.
Cool in pans on racks for 5 minutes, then carefully lift each acorn out to cool.
If you want to re-warm the rolls, place them in a large cake pan, cover them loosely with foil, and heat at 300 for 5-10 minutes.

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Hints:

There’s no need to make a mess crushing the crackers. Just smash the package against the counter a few times. The chunks will dissolve in the yeast mixture.
Make sure the acorn tops are a little bigger across than the width of the balls in the pan. If they’re too small they’ll look like a hat perched on a head – not what you want.
If you want darker tops, instead of adding the cocoa to the egg wash, knead it into the smaller piece of dough before covering it and setting it aside. Don’t worry if the cocoa isn’t completely worked in – just do your best. Add a little extra cocoa if you’d like. Then just use the egg and water as an egg wash.
I had fairly good luck pressing the acorn top design into the rolled dough with a potato masher before cutting out the circles. This might be easier for you. But in the the end, I preferred the way they looked when I used an onion holder to press the design on each piece.

Add coarsely crushed graham crackers.

Separate into 24 pieces and roll into balls.

Place balls of dough into prepared cupcake pans.

Add texture by using an onion holder. The flat side of a knife would work too.

Acorn, ready to bake.

Cutting acorn caps. (Cocoa was added to dough here. See Hints.)

The finished acorns would look beautiful on a platter with little sprigs of rosemary, but if you have the time and inclination, here are instructions for the cornucopia. It’s actually fairly easy to make! You will need foil and parchment paper to create a sculpture for the bread to wrap around.

BREAD CORNUCOPIA

2½ cups warm water
1 teaspoon sugar
2 packages active dry yeast
2 tablespoons softened butter
6 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 egg plus 1 tablespoon water, whisked together to make an egg wash.

In a large mixing bowl, stir sugar into warm water and then stir in the yeast. Let sit until bubbly (about 5 minutes).
Add butter, 3 cups flour and the salt and beat for 1 minute.
Add 2 cups flour and mix together well. Slowly add as much of the remaining flour as necessary until the dough comes cleanly away from the side of the bowl. If you are using a stand mixer with a dough hook, knead for 5 minutes. If you are kneading by hand, drop the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 7 minutes.
Place the dough into a large greased bowl. Turn to coat. Cover and let rise until doubled, approximately 1 hour.
While dough is rising, form a cornucopia shape out of foil, crumpling the foil together to make a solid mass. The one pictured in this blog was about 15 inches from end to end. It doesn’t have to be too dense – it just can’t be hollow because it has to hold up to the weight of the dough. When you have the correct shape, wrap it with a piece of parchment, securing it with a staple or piece of masking tape.
Heat oven to 375 F.
Punch down dough and roll out into a rectangle approximately 12 inches by 18 inches. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut 3/4-inch strips lengthwise.
Very lightly grease the center of a baking sheet.
Working over the baking sheet, start at the bottom of the cornucopia, near the large end, and begin wrapping strips of dough around and around the cornucopia. The dough will be very soft, and will stretch when you pick it up, which is okay. Keep an even pressure; don’t pull the dough, but don’t wrap so loosely that it sags. When you add a piece of dough, pinch it together with the end of the previous piece to keep a continuous coil. You will have to hold the cornucopia up with one hand while you wind the dough with the other. Small spaces between strips is fine; the bread will rise while cooking and fill them in. Place cornucopia on baking sheet.
Twist two strips together and place the “braid” around the large opening. This will reinforce the cornucopia and add a decorative touch.
Cut small leaves, stems, vines, and even small acorns and place them artistically on the cornucopia, using a little egg wash to make them stick.
Brush the entire cornucopia (except the bottom) with egg wash.
Bake for approximately 30-35 minutes, or until rich golden brown.
Allow the cornucopia to cool completely on a rack. When completely cool, gently pull the foil and parchment out. You might be able to pull it out in one piece, or you might have to start with the foil, pulling it out in pieces, and then pull the parchment out last. Be patient and take your time.
It will be sturdier if you let it dry on the counter for a day or two before using, but it may be used right away if you prefer. You can also wrap and freeze it until needed.

Dough coming cleanly away from sides of bowl.

The dough is doubled (at least!)

Go ahead – sculpt a cornucopia out of foil!

Cover the foil with parchment.

Cut rolled dough into strips.

Wrap strips around cone.

Twist two strips together and wrap around opening.

Add pretty details and brush with egg wash.

This recipe was created for a series called “From Our Thanksgiving Table to Yours” – a collection of Thanksgiving recipes by a wild and crazy group of bloggers who live to eat. My post was the last of the group, so I’ll leave you with links to their recipes in case you’ve missed any of them. We’d like to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving!
Lorinda

From Tampa Cake Girl: Sweet Potato Soufflé.

From Hun, What’s For Dinner?: Orange Scented Double Layer Pecan Pie.

From Crumbs in My Mustachio: Bacon Cheese and Green Onion Cornbread.

From Cooking From a SAHM: Knock Your Socks Off Mashed Potatoes.

From Moore or Less Cooking Blog: Cheddar Pecan Dip.

The Rowdy Baker

Irreverent offerings from a compulsive baker.

Category Archives: Holidays

Patriotic Fruit Pops

Tender Yucateco Pork

Pot o’ Gold Cupcakes

Irish Pretzel Knots

Drunken Leprechaun Balls

Petits Fours

Valentine Treat Collection

Chocolate Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Acorn Dinner Rolls