The Wonders of Buttercream Part 2 - Vanilla

For some reason I was compelled to try a vanilla buttercream.  I had some egg whites in the fridge begging to be whipped up into something better than an egg white omelette.  The process was long and slightly cumbersome.  I plan to make up some chocolate cupcakes and see what happens when this goes on top.  I also will whip up some chocolate fudge cookies and use this as a filling for a Trex Oreo.

1/2 cup egg whites
2 Tbsp Sugar
*Beat in stand mixer with whisk attachment until stiff

1 1/2 cups of sugar
1/2 cup water
*Cook in a heavy sauce pan until syrup hits 248 degrees on a candy thermometer.  Transfer to a glass measuring cup with a spout.

With the mixer running on medium CAREFULLY pour syrup in a thin stream down the side of the bowl.  Do not pour directly on the beater or you can get burned from the splashing hot syrup.  Continue mixing until the mixture cools to room temperature.

3 sticks butter

*Add butter to the egg white/sugar mixture one tablespoon at a time until all 3 sticks are incorporated.

2 tsp vanilla - use the REAL stuff - No artificial extracts!

Continue to beat until smooth.  Store in an airtight container in the fridge.  When you are ready to use it, bring to room temp and beat until fluffy again.

The Results Are In!

3 Ribbons!

5th Place for the Chocolate Cake, 4th Place for the Lemon Poppyseed Cookie and 2nd Place for the Chocolate Fudge Cookie.

I feel pretty good about those that placed. A little bummed about the 5th Place cake because I thought it rocked.

The breads and muffins did take the beating that I assumed they would. I just didn't feel the love in those this year. I have to rethink my battle plan for those entries.

Onward and upward!

The Wonders of Buttercream - Chocolate

I personally hate frosting.  As a kid, I remember scraping the stuff off of cake as my friends would ask for the dreaded "corner piece" or the "frosting flower".  Yuck!  I think part of my aversion was the texture was greasy and Vasaline like.

But in my baking extravaganza this weekend, I for the first time had a frosting I could spread on toast and even use a spoon and eat it straight up.  Thank you Ina Garten for the base recipe!  I made some slight tweaks.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

1 pound Bittersweet Chocolate
12 ounces Milk Chocolate
*Melt in microwave safe bowl - cool to room temp*

5 egg whites
1 1/2 Cups White Sugar
1/4 tsp Cream of Tartar
*In the mixing bowl for your electric mixer, whisk over simmering water and heat the egg whites until they are warm.  5 minutes.
*Return bowl to the mixer with the whisk attachment.  Beat on high speed for 5 minutes until you get stiff peaks.

1 1/2 POUNDs Butter -  Yes...that's right 6 Sticks of Butter!  at room temp

Add the butter 1 Tblsp at a time to the meringue.  DO NOT take short cuts and just plop all the butter in.  You will get a big blob of butter and egg whites.  NOT pretty.

After all the butter is incorporated, add:
1 Tblsp Vanilla Extract
3 tsp Espresso Powder dissolved in 1 tsp water
and Cooled melted chocolate

Whisk with mixer until all is incorporated and fluffy.  Scrape down bowl occasionally.

TA DA!  Chocolate Buttercream!  This will make enough frosting to cover a baby elephant.

Once Upon A Time...

I was reviewing my baking weekend with my co-workers and I was asked today, what was it that got you started baking?  It goes back over 35 years.  Yes, I am that old.

The (Super) Early Years

Mom's was yellow

After thinking about it, I remember as far back when I was 4 years old in my mom's kitchen baking bundt cakes with a cake mix and sprinkling powdered sugar on top.  She had this yellow Sunbeam electric stand mixer that had 2 beaters that would be stationary and the glass bowl would spin around.  It's a far cry from my Kitchen Aid that sits in my appliance garage today.

The Early Years
My next baking memory is when I was in 7th grade and my friends and I would bake box cake mixes for our friend's birthdays.  99% of the time, the cakes were for boys.  I think that was the point when I learned that the way to a boy's heart was through food.

The First Job

My first job EVER was a hostess at the Old Country Buffet when I was 15 years old.  I helped old people carry their trays to their tables and I poured coffee and filled the dessert bar.  I struck up conversations with the baker and found out they were looking for a weekend baker.  Hours were 5-12 Saturday/Sunday.  I couldn't drive so my dad drove me every weekend for almost 2 years.  I started the morning peeling carrots (15 pounds) for carrot cake, followed by making cinnamon rolls, and all the other baked goods.  That is when I learned the importance of knowing the difference between Baking Soda and Baking Powder because management wasn't too pleased with throwing away an entire sheet pan of chocolate cake.

College
Returning back to impressing boys, I learned that baking cookies in the study lounge at school struck up conversations with various people who otherwise would never talk to me.  Mom would send me pre-measured ingredients for chocolate chip cookies.  I would buy butter and 2 eggs from the school snack counter and bake cookies for people.

The Real World
1995 I started work at Northwest Airlines.  Didn't get paid much but I flew for free.  I needed a new oven so I started baking for money.  I sold my cookies for $5 a dozen.  By the end of 1996, I made enough money to buy a new oven with my cookie money.

The Birth of the Competitive Baker

Blue Ribbon for Chocolate Fudge Cookies 2004

1997 was the first year I competed at the Fair.  My first entries were a Mango Kiwi Pie and Zucchini Pineapple Bread.  Both took 5th place.  My first Blue Ribbon came in 2003 for my Lemon Bread.  Receiving the check for $6 for first place made me laugh.  I never cashed it or any other checks received for winning.  There is something very exhilarating about competing by creating something out of butter, sugar, eggs and other ingredients.  I have no qualms about sharing my recipes.  At the end of the day, if you can execute the recipe with the proper technique and love, there are no secrets.

2010 MN State Fair Entries

After over 12 hours of baking.  I completed 10 entries for the 2010 MN State Fair.  This will be my 13th year competing and I am hoping for at least 1 item to place.

2010 Entries and My personal Thoughts:

• Chocolate Cake
• I frosted this with a chocolate buttercream frosting.   I've never made buttercream before and I actually don't like frosting.  But it was actually pretty good!   I put a chocolate truffle ganache between layers!
• Zucchini Mango Bread
• Not a fan of how any of my breads and muffins turned out.  They all were very heavy.  I think it was also a function of not practicing enough on them.
• Mango Bread
• I made the mistake of adding a mango extract to this bread which turned the bread a "school bus yellow".  Flavor was ok, but the score on appearance will be taking a beating.
• Zucchini Mango Muffins
• They looked good, taste...eh.
• Lemon Muffins
• They tasted good, looks...eh
• Lemon Poppyseed Cookies
• Loved how these turned out!  Chewy soft, yet crunchy on the outside.
• Chocolate Fudge Cookies
• Staple Fair entry.  I used leftover buttercream from the cake and made "oreos" with the rejects.
• Chocolate Chip Cookies
• I would love to place in this category...just once!
• Poppyseed Muffins
• I thought they were ok when they were warm, but dried out a bit after they cooled.  Brian thought the flavor was not super good because I mixed almond extract in with cinnamon.
• Banana Bread
• Looked good, but not as moist as I wanted.

At the end of the day, I felt good about the cookies and the cake.  Next year the bread will have to get a little more love.  Thanks to everyone for accepting my rejects and for being my guinea pigs.  Recipes will be posted as soon as I get the smell of butter and chocolate out of my hair.

Lemon Poppyseed Cookie

Lemon Poppyseed Cookie

Indecision.  Should I make muffins or cookies?  I decided to make muffins disguised as cookies.  Introducing a true experiment.  The Lemon Poppyseed Cookie.   As you will see in the recipe, you will see there are similar "themes" in my ingredients with slight tweaks.  So it is essentially the Lemon Sugar cookie with poppyseeds.

4 1/2 cups Flour
1 Package Instant Lemon Pudding
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
*Sift*

1 1/2 Sticks Melted Butter
1 1/2 cups Brown Sugar
1 1/2 cups White Sugar
*Beat and Add:
1 Egg
1 Egg Yolk
*Beat

Add in flour mixture to the butter mixture.

Add 1/4 cup poppy seeds.

Scoop into balls.  Using same technique as the Chocolate Chip Cookie, rip the balls in half and squish them back together with the ripped sides facing up.    Bake for 11 minutes in a 350 degree oven.  Remove and allow to rest on the sheets for 5 minutes.

Chocolate Chip Cookie - Chewy

Chewy Chocolate Chip

After hundreds of tries.  I think this is the one that is going to the Fair.

2 1/4 Cups Flour
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1 package instant vanilla pudding
*Sift

1 1/2 sticks Butter - melted
1 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup White Sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
*Cream

Add flour into creamed mixture.

Add 2 cups chocolate chips

Scoop into 2 inch balls.  "Rip" balls in half and then squish them back together so that the ripped sides face up.

Bake at 350 for 8 minutes.  Take them out and let them rest on the cookie sheet for at least 5 minutes before removing.

Peach Mango Pie Filling

I decided to give the Peach Mango combo a shot after getting a number of Peach + X suggestions.

4 ripe peaches - peeled and sliced
2 peeled and sliced mangos
1/2 cup sugar
*render the juice from the fruit-place fruit and sugar in a colander over a sauce pan for 2 hrs*

Set fruit aside

Take sauce pan of juice and bring to a simmer.   Add 1 package of bloomed unflavored gelatin.  Stir until thickened.

Add fruit to thickened sauce.  Stir for 1-2 minutes.  Cool before putting in pie crust.

I made this filling into a crisp vs a crust but the flavor was definitely "mango-ey" vs peach. 

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Bread

Wet
3 Eggs
2 cups Sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup vegetable oil
*Cream*
Dry
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
*Sift*
Add Dry to Wet Ingredients
1 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips

Pour into 2 loaf pans.  Bake 350 for 1 hour or when a tester comes out clean.

Zucchini bread scares people.  Not quite sure why exactly.  But I added chocolate chips in the hopes my kids would eat it.  My version of this recipe with 1 cup zuchinni and 1 cup crushed pineapple has won 2 ribbons at the fair.

Lemon Cookie Feedback

5pm, end of the day and there is one cookie left in the container on my desk.  Pretty sure that I can pawn it off on someone.  Quick shout to Erik...and, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...it's gone.

Texture got the kudos today.  Chewy, yet not too chewy.  Note to self...not everyone likes lemon.  Who knew?   Got one request for a sweeter cookie another for more lemony goodness.

Overall I think this one is a slight keeper with a few tweaks.

Lemon Sugar Cookie - Take 1

2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 box instant lemon pudding
*Sift*
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cups melted butter
1 egg
1 egg yolk
zest of 2 lemons
*Cream*
Blend flour mixture into butter mixture.  Scoop out balls of dough, roll in sugar.  Bake at 350 for 10 mins.

I think I maybe onto something here with the pudding.  2 days later, the cookies are still soft.  But I think Take 2 will include some more zest and maybe some lemon extract.  Hmm...maybe a few white chocolate chips.

Welcome to My Baking Blog!

Thanks to many inspirational women, I have been convinced to jump into this world of blogging.  Not 100% sure what I expect to get out of it besides a place I can "verbalize" my baking dilemmas and cheer my triumphs!  I hope to get many inspiring ideas from people as well as a few volunteers to eat my experiments.


Baking Words of Wisdom of the Day:  If they look done, they are over done - chocolate chip cookie 101