Present Cake

I made a cake decorated like a present for Christmas, and it turned out fantastic! Here's the recipe!

The cake was a chocolate cake with two layers and chocolate buttercream, decorated with fondant.

Chocolate Cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl mix together 1 3/4 cups flour (any kind), 2 cups sugar, 3/4 cup cocoa powder, and 1 1/2 teaspoons each of baking powder and baking soda. Next, whisk in 1 cup milk, 1/2 vegetable oil, 2 eggs, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. If the batter is thick, add in a little more milk. Pour the batter into a 9x13 or two 8x8 pans lined with parchment paper (this will come in very handy later). Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out dry. Let cool completely. 

Chocolate Buttercream: 

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat together 1/2 cup (1 stick) of melted butter and 2/3 cup cocoa powder. Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 3 cups of powdered sugar to the mixture. The mixture should be crumbly. Then, add milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, so the frosting is smooth and spreadable, but doesn't drip off of the attachment when held up. Cover the frosting bowl with plastic wrap until you use it.

Fondant:

I used packaged fondant from the store, and used the color yellow, although you can use any color you want. Take a small piece of fondant and roll it into a 4 inch strip. Cut the sides off so it is one inch wide. Then, cut the ends so it makes a triangle shape point. Fold one end over so it touches the other side and seal it with water. Set the fondant aside to dry. Repeat these steps. You'll need about 7-8 pieces to make a bow. Next, roll out 2 long strips with about a 2 inch width. The strips should be about 20 inches long, or enough to drape over the cake like a ribbon.  

Assembling the Cake:

Flip your cake or one of your 8x8 cakes onto a tray. Carefully peel off the parchment paper. If you are using a 9x13 cake cut it in half as evenly as possible. Spread the frosting on the top of one cake or piece of cake, depending on which size you used.Then, stack the other cake/piece of cake on top of the frosting. Next, cover the entire cake in frosting. After that, drape one fondant strip over the cake for a ribbon. Put the other strip on the same way on the opposite side. Then, fit the pieces of the bow together in the middle of the cake where the 2 ribbons overlap. I used a mixture of confectioners sugar and water for glue to make the bow stick. You have now made a beautiful and delicious present cake! Remember to take a picture, and then dig in!

Cupcake Wars

Today was a snow day, and Nate and I were up for some Cupcake Wars (he judged while I baked). The theme Nate picked? Holiday cheer. I made two cupcakes with decorations in one hour. Here are some photos and recipes!

The first cupcake: Peppermint Hot Chocolate. For this cupcake I made a normal chocolate cupcake batter, but I only used half the amount of cocoa powder and added 3 tablespoons of hot cocoa mix and 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract. For the frosting (the marshmallows on the hot chocolate), I made a meringue frosting, using the recipe Fluffy White Frosting from allrecipes.com. I then garnished the frosting with a crushed candy cane and a full candy cane on the side, to represent a mug handle.

 The second cupcake: Apple Spice. For this cupcake I made a simple yellow cake, then added one apple cut into small chunks, and 1/2 teaspoon each nutmeg and allspice, along with 1 teaspoon cinnamon. For the frosting a made a normal buttercream recipe and added 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. I garnished this cupcake with an apple slice and edible gold glitter.

The finished cupcakes were the best and most creative I had ever made!

I hope you enjoy!

Spicy Chicken Empanadas

Here is a delicious chicken empanada recipe. I combined two different recipes and added some of my own ingredients. Enjoy!

 In a medium bowl mix together 2 cups all purpose flour, 2 tablespoons white sugar, and 2 teaspoons baking powder. With a pastry cutter, blend in 1/3 of a cup of softened butter until the butter is in pea sized pieces. Add in 1/2 to 3/4 cup of cold water, until the dough stays together but is not sticky. Form the dough into a ball and cover with a towel for at least 10 minutes.

 Meanwhile, shred about 1/2 lb. precooked chicken breast. Chop up 1 small onion, and 2 jalapenos.

 Saute the pre-chopped and shredded ingredients with a tablespoon of olive oil for a few minutes. Then, add 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon paprika, and 1/3 cup salsa (any kind).

 Roll out the empanada dough, then cut it into 4 inch circles (I used the top of a 24 oz. can). Put a spoonful of the chicken on one side of a circle. Fold the other side of the dough over and press down to make the sides stick. If needed, you can wet your hands and seal the empanada with water. Next, crimp the edges of the empanada with a fork. Repeat these steps until there is no dough remaining.

Brush 1 beaten egg over the tops of the empanadas. Then, place in a 375 degree F oven for 15 minutes. Let cool until warm. Enjoy!

Cook's Notes:

Spice Level: These empanadas were very spicy. If you want a milder empanada use only 1 small jalapeno and mild salsa.

Chicken: I used leftover chicken breast with seasoning. If you are using already seasoned chicken make sure to take the skin off! To shred chicken cut at a diagonal.

Dough: If you sift your flour you won't need as much water as the recipe says.

Double Chocolate Macadamia Cookies

I've been wanting to make macadamia cookies for awhile, and I finally got around to it. These came out better than I thought they would! I modified the recipe Chocolate Pile-Up Cookies from allrecipes.com.

 Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.

 In the bowl of a stand mixer with the flat beater attachment, cream together 1/2 cup (1 stick) of softened butter, 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons white sugar, and 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons brown sugar until smooth.

 Beat in 1 egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla.

Stir in 1 cup of your favorite flour, 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda. You can mix these ingredients together in a separate bowl beforehand, but it is not needed.

 Add 3/4 cup of macadamia nuts and 3/4 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips to the dough. Drop by tablespoons onto a baking lined with parchment paper.

 Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 12 minutes. When the cookies come out of the oven they will seem too soft, but they will harden as they cool. You can eat your cookie(s) plain, or with a glass of milk. Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Fettuccine

I got a pasta attachment for my stand mixer for my birthday last year. This is the fourth time I've made pasta, but it's the first time I've made it with a whole wheat pasta recipe. Enjoy!

 In a stand mixer with a flat beater attachment, combine 3 1/2 cups whole white flour, a pinch of salt, and 4 eggs.

 Switch to the dough hook attachment and drizzle in about a 1/2 cup of water. Knead with the dough hook for about a minute on setting 4.The dough should be sticky but not wet.

 Cut the dough into eight pieces and flatten them slightly with your hand.

 Feed through the pasta rollers on setting 1, then setting 2. End by feeding the flat dough through the fettuccine attachment.

Cook the pasta in boiling water for 3-4 minutes. Pasta should be al dente.

Top the pasta with your favorite sauce or pesto. Enjoy!

Holy Cannolis

My brother has been begging me to make cannolis for awhile, and today I felt up to it (we had also just gotten cannoli molds). Hope you enjoy these!

 With a pastry cutter, mix together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon white sugar, and 2 tablespoons of cold butter cut into VERY small pieces. When the mixture is coarse add 1 egg yolk and 1/2 cup of water. Knead until smooth. Then cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate while making the filling.

 In a medium sized bowl mix together 2 cups ricotta cheese, 3/4 cup powdered sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp allspice. Then, whip 1/4 cup heavy cream until stiff and fold into ricotta mixture. Finally, add a couple handfuls of mini chocolate chips.

 Roll out cannoli dough (I did it with my pasta machine) and cut into 3-4 inch rounds. Wrap around cannoli molds and seal with water. Drop into 1 quart of canola oil at 360 degrees Fahrenheit.

 Fry each cannoli shell for about a minute on each side. Drop onto a paper towel-lined plate. Once the shell is cool, slide it off of the cannoli mold.

 Fill the cannoli with a piping bag with no tip.

Top with mini chocolate chips and dust with powdered sugar. Yum!

Apple Upside-Down Cake with Whipped Greek Yogurt

Today I was home, bored, and up for some experimenting. The pineapple upside-down cake I had once made had been a huge hit in my family. Why not do that again, but with apples this time? Here is my delicious spice cake with an apple topping and honey whipped Greek yogurt. Enjoy!

 First, cream together 1 stick of softened butter and 1 cup of white sugar.

 Add in  1 cup of white, whole wheat, or whole white flour, 3/4 tsp of vanilla, 2 eggs, and 1/2 tsp each of baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. If you want, add in about 1/4 cup of milk.

 Stir until combined.

 Now, for the apples! Peel and thinly slice 4 Granny Smith apples. Add in 2 teaspoons cinnamon, the juice of 1/2 a lemon, and 1/2 cup of white sugar.

 Pile apples into 6-8 heavily greased custard cups, and top with cake batter.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in cake comes out dry.

Cut around the edge of the cake, and then turn over onto a plate. And....... VOILA!

 To make the whipped Greek yogurt with honey: In a stand mixer (or with your favorite whipping device) whip together 3/4 cup of Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon honey, and 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Pile the yogurt onto the cake, and, if you want, garnish with grated lemon zest and some cinnamon. Enjoy!

Waffles of the Gods

These waffles are light and fluffy. They are, as my dad says, "food of the gods".

Separate 2 eggs, putting the yolks in a large bowl. Save the whites for later.

Whisk 2 cups milk and 2 teaspoons vanilla into the yolks. 

      

Whisk in 2 cups flour, 2 tablespoons white sugar, and 2 teaspoons baking powder. I use whole white flour, but you can also use white or whole wheat flour.

Beat the egg whites until foamy.

 Add the egg whites and 4 tablespoons butter into the batter. If you want, you can add a few handfuls of chocolate chips and frozen blueberries.

Cook the batter in a waffle maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Make cinnamon sugar (7 to 1 sugar to cinnamon ratio) and shake onto the waffle. Enjoy!