Dessert: Cream Puffs

It was a very boring afternoon around the house so I decided to make cream puffs. The best part about cream puffs is that I had all the ingredients to make them around the house. No trip to the grocery store required.

I did almost give up on this dessert though. The recipe that I followed was very vague and it took me two attempts before I realized my mistake. A lot of ingredients were wasted to say the least. So I will try to explain the best I can so it doesn't happen to you.

Recipe:

Yields 12 medium puffs

1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp. salt
4 eggs

1 pkg instant vanilla pudding
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
1 tbsp. icing sugar

 

 

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

2. Bring the water to a boil. Add butter and stir until completely melted. Bring the mixture back up to a boil.

3. Add flour and salt to the saucepan. Mix until dough is formed (this will happen quickly). Remove from heat and add one egg at a time to the dough.

4. Roll dough into balls and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Then lower the temperature to 325 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove the baking sheet and slice the puffs in half. Turn off the oven and place the puffs into the cooling oven for another 20 minutes (this will allow the pastries to crisp).

5. For the cream, pour instant pudding mix, heavy cream, milk, and icing sugar into a bowl. Mix with a beater on high. NOTE: Do NOT actually make instant pudding package or you will have a big, watery mess.

6. Once the puffs are cooled, pipe cream onto pastry bottoms. Replace the pastry top onto the cream. Powder tops with extra icing sugar.


~ Enjoy! ~

Coral Rose Petal Cupcakes

 

 

 

 

 

These cupcakes were made for a 60th birthday. They are fabulous, elegant, and classy! These are a great change from your typical birthday decorations. They could also be used for showers or weddings. These are made from rose petals, but there are a few types of flowers that are also edible. Your guests will think you went to a lot of trouble creating these cupcakes, but truthfully, they are easier than making rose petals from sugar or gum paste.

Recipe:

Yields 14 large cupcakes

2 eggs
1/2 cup water or milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sour cream
1 French Vanilla cake mix

Toppings:

Buttercream Icing

Roses
Egg Whites
Sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix eggs, oil, water, sour cream, and the box mix. Pour into large cupcake papers.

3. Bake for 18-20 minutes.

4. Remove rose petals from stems and spread out flat onto a cutting board. Using a brush, coat the petals with egg whites and sprinkle sugar generously. Allow the petals to dry and harden for at least an hour.

5. Use your choice of buttercream icing to top cupcakes. Pipe icing using a 1M tip. Optional: Use a few drops of dye for colour.

6. Stick three petals into each cupcake (The rule of three: Everything looks better in design in groups of three!).

 

 

 

Dessert: Classic Cherry Cheesecake

 

I really enjoy cheesecake. I made this Classic Cherry Cheesecake on the weekend for brother's birthday party. It is quite simple. I have always liked cherry cheesecakes the best. Whenever I travel to big cities in the States, I usually stop at the Cheesecake Factory. They have so many different varieties. Chocolate. Peanut Butter. Fruit. Cookies. Caramel. And so many more. But I always choose Cherry Cheesecake. Why mess with a good thing?

Recipe:

1 1/2 cup Honey Maid Graham Cracker Crumbs
3 tbsp. sugar
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted

4 pkg. (8 oz.) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs

1 can of cherries

Adapted from: Kraft Recipes


Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

2. Mix graham crumbs, 3 tbsp. of sugar, and butter. Press mixture into a springform pan.

3. Beat cream cheese, 1 cup of sugar, and vanilla. Add each egg one at a time. Pour mixture over crust.

4. Bake in the oven for 55 minutes. Loosen cake from the rim of the pan. Allow the cake to cool before removing the rim. Refrigerate for four hours.

5. Top with canned cherries just before serving. Option: Add fresh fruit instead!

~ Enjoy ~

Hide-n-Seek Chocolate Cupcakes

 

 

My brother LOVES chocolate and I LOVE cupcakes so I decided to compromise. Using a Wilton chocolate mould, I was able to shape the melted chocolate into these cute little cupcakes. The mould creates cavities that allow you to fill the inside with different types of candies.

You will need:

- milk chocolates
- coloured melting chocolates
- Wilton's Chocolate Cupcake Mould
- bowls and spoons
- candy for filling (optional)


Directions:

1. Separate the chocolates into bowls.

2. Microwave chocolates until completely melted and smooth.

3. Pour chocolate into the cavities and press sides firmly to be sure all chocolate is evenly distributed.

4. Place in the refrigerator for approximately 10 minutes or until the mould looks frosty.

5. Carefully pop out harden chocolate.

6. Fill with treats.

They are very simple to make, but they are time consuming and the chocolate cracks easily. The chocolate needs time to properly harden and cool. I probably made ten, but only five turned out.

Dessert: Cheesecake Pops

I have been really struggling with cake pops lately. I got a cake pop machine for Christmas and I am realizing I need to get myself some kind of book or find a very informative website to help me out. I mean they taste amazing, but they never look like the beautiful ones I see all over Pinterest. I made some Red Velvet Cake Pops that I didn't even bother to post a couple weeks ago. And these Cheesecake Pops were actually dipped in chocolate, but they were such a mess that I decided only to use the pictures without. There must be a trick to these things, but for now I will just close my eyes and enjoy!

Recipe:

Yields approx. 2 dozen

2- 8oz packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp. heavy cream

graham cracker crumbs
lollipop sticks

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Beat together cream cheese and sugar.

3. Add flour, vanilla, salt, eggs, and cream to the mixture. Blend until smooth.

4. Pour into a spring-form pan and bake in oven for 50 minutes.

5. Refrigerate for an hour.

6. Fill a bowl with graham cracker crumbs. Scoop out tablespoon-size balls from the cheesecake. Roll balls in crumbs and place onto a baking sheet. Allow pops to harden in the fridge.

7. Press lollipop sticks into the cheesecake pops.


Optional: Dip in melted milk chocolate, nuts, sprinkles, etc.

Recipe Adapted from: That Skinny Chick Can Bake

~ Enjoy ~

Cookies: Snowball Pecan Sandies

I made these cookies for a friend. Her mother made these every Christmas and they were my Favourite! They turned out delicious and I hope I made her proud.

 

 

Snowball Recipe:

Yields 2 dozen cookies

2 cups flour
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup pecans, chopped
1 cup icing sugar (for dusting)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Cream butter and sugar together.

3. Add vanilla, salt, flour, and pecans. Mix until dough is formed.

4. Roll into 1 inch balls and place onto a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden.

5. Once completely cooled, coat cookies with icing sugar.

Recipe Adapted from Sprinkle Bakes


~Enjoy~

Pretty Things... My New Measuring Cups!

I got these as a gift and they are Fabulous! They are from Pier 1 Imports  and I love their vintage patterns. Definitely inspiring me to bake great things :)

Movie: Les Miserables

Director: Tom Hooper
Release Date: December 25, 2012
Studio: Working Title Films, Relativity Media
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Eddie Redmayne & Amanda Seyfried

2012 Poster - Universal Pictures

I feel like a bit of a fraud writing this review. I have never read the original novel written by Victor Hugo in 1862 and I have never watched the famous musical production of Les Miserables. But I did see the most recent musical film adaption on New Year's. So I can tell you what I have experienced.

I do enjoy a great musical on film. Moulin Rouge! (2001) and The Phantom of the Opera (2004) happen to be two of my favourite movies of all time. And it isn't just the singing. These two films have some of the most beautiful costumes and settings that truly transform you to a different time and place. A musical film creates imagery that isn't possible to do on stage. From what I hear, the recent movie of Les Miserables apparently has a similar affect on the audience that the stage just couldn't produce.

Les Miserables as a film is beautiful. It opens the audience's eyes to the extreme poverty of this period in France. There is no assistance and no way to move up in life. With nothing and no hope for a future, the impoverished of France seek desperate measures to survive.

The story begins with the main character Jean Valjean's (Jackman) release from prison by a guard named Javert (Crowe). Valjean is placed on parole and unable to receive any form of work under his current conditions. Starving and freezing, Valjean is found by an old bishop who feeds him and allows him to rest in his home. During the night, Valjean steals the bishop's silver and flees the home. After being caught by officers, the bishop insists that he gave Valjean the silver and that he actually forgot to take the candlesticks. Overwhelmed by the bishop's kindness, Valjean decides to change his life, break parole, and start fresh under a new name.

From here, he begins his own factory and becomes a wealthy man. After a worker, Fantine (Hathaway) is fired without just cause, forced into prostitution, and dies from disease, he vows to take care of her daughter, Cosette. Valjean never reveals his past to Cosette, but it leaves them constantly on the run after Javert discovers his true identity. Cosette grows up to be beautiful and naturally Hugo has her fall for a man who is at the centre of a revolution. Wanting to secure his daughter's happiness and stop a life of hiding,Valjean thrusts himself into the revolution to help save the young man.

Original Cover by Emile Bayard - 1862

It is a complicated plot line that needs to be followed carefully. It is also being told all through song...and I mean ALL through song. Now as I mentioned previously, I love a good musical, however I do prefer it with some talking. Viewers be warned that Les Miserables features sing-talking, which isn't as fluid as just singing alone. It also became awkward as characters sang/talked/died on screen, which inevitable prolonged the dying. Another negative was that it was about 45 minutes too long and audience members were becoming restless towards the end (at least the two I brought with me).

Overall, it was an experience and a very well-done film with the positives definitely outweighing the negatives.

Dessert: A Homecoming & Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

My sister just returned home after three months away. She is a bit of a picky eater and doesn't like cake much so I decided to go with one of her favourites: Cinnamon Rolls! I love a nice, warm cinnamon roll, but this girl is crazy. Her favourite is the one you can pick up at McDonald's for breakfast. It doesn't take much to please her so I figured a homemade cinnamon roll would make her day. They turned out amazing and they are super easy, but you really have to plan ahead. You need almost three hours set aside for the dough to rise, but it is definitely worth it. So here are my results:

Dough Recipe:

1 (8g) package dry yeast
1 cup milk, warm
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup margarine
pinch of salt
2 large eggs
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup bread flour

Directions:

1. Dissolve the yeast in warm milk.

2. Add sugar, margarine, salt, eggs, and flours. Mix well.

3. Knead dough into a ball and sprinkle lightly with flour. Cover with a moist cloth and allow the dough to rise in a warm spot for an hour.

4. Roll dough out to approx. 21 inches long to 16 inches wide onto wax paper.


Filling Recipe:

1 cup light brown sugar
3 tbsp. ground cinnamon
1/3 cup margarine, softened

Directions:

1. Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, and margarine.

2. Spread the cinnamon mixture onto the rolled dough.

3. Roll the dough tightly without letting the filling spill out.

4. Use a sharp knife to slice the roll into 12 pieces. Space rolls evenly onto a pan. Cover again with a damp cloth for 1-2 hours.

5. Bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.


Recipes Adapted from: Sweetapolita

Frosting Recipe:

1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup margarine, softened
1 3/4 cups icing sugar
2 tsp vanilla flavouring
1/8 tsp lemon flavouring

Directions:

1. Mix cream cheese and margarine with a mixer on a low speed.

2. Add icing sugar and flavours to the mixture.

3. Refrigerate until needed. Frost the cinnamon rolls while they are still warm.