Orange Cinnamon Monkey Bread

Even though I'd always seen monkey bread recipes in magazines for as long as I remember, I'd always put off making them because they involved frozen bread dough purchased at the store or pillsbury crescent rolls. There's nothing wrong with those versions, but I wanted something that felt a little more homemade. There's something so satisfying about working with your hands and putting effort into something. It's similar to the psychological reasons of how box cake mixes were highly unpopular when they were first introduced and all you had to do was add water. It only became popular with the "add and egg" instruction because it felt like one was actually doing work.

This recipe was a hit at my brunch (as seen from the photo. I didn't even have time to take pictures before people started eating it). Next time, I think I would put nuts or dried fruits in between the layers as well.

This post has been submitted to Yeastspotting

Orange Cinnamon Monkey Bread

Ingredients

• 13 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour (about 3 cups)
• 4 3/4 ounces whole-wheat flour (about 1 cup)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 package yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
• 1 cup warm milk
• 1/4 cup warm orange juice
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 4 1/2 tablespoons fat-free milk, divided
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• a splash of milk

Directions

1. Proof yeast in a small amount of the warm orange juice and milk.
2. Combine flours, salt, butter and honey with yeast mix. Mix until combined and knead for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Let rise 1 hour
3. Combine sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon in one bowl. Combine milk and butter in another bowl. Divide dough into 8 pieces (and each piece into 8 pieces). Roll each piece in milk/butter and in sugar mix. Place dough balls in bunt cake pan. Let rest for another hour until doubled in size
4. Bake bread for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Let rest 5 minutes in pan before inverting onto a serving plate.
5. Mix powdered sugar and vanilla briefly and pour over warm cake.

Even though I'd always seen monkey bread recipes in magazines for as long as I remember, I'd always put off making them because they involved frozen bread dough purchased at the store or pillsbury crescent rolls. There's nothing wrong with those versions, but I wanted something that felt a little more homemade. There's something so satisfying about working with your hands and putting effort into something. It's similar to the psychological reasons of how box cake mixes were highly unpopular when they were first introduced and all you had to do was add water. It only became popular with the "add and egg" instruction because it felt like one was actually doing work.

This recipe was a hit at my brunch (as seen from the photo. I didn't even have time to take pictures before people started eating it). Next time, I think I would put nuts or dried fruits in between the layers as well.

This post has been submitted to Yeastspotting

Orange Cinnamon Monkey Bread

Ingredients

• 13 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour (about 3 cups)
• 4 3/4 ounces whole-wheat flour (about 1 cup)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 package yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
• 1 cup warm milk
• 1/4 cup warm orange juice
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 4 1/2 tablespoons fat-free milk, divided
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• a splash of milk

Directions

1. Proof yeast in a small amount of the warm orange juice and milk.
2. Combine flours, salt, butter and honey with yeast mix. Mix until combined and knead for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Let rise 1 hour
3. Combine sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon in one bowl. Combine milk and butter in another bowl. Divide dough into 8 pieces (and each piece into 8 pieces). Roll each piece in milk/butter and in sugar mix. Place dough balls in bunt cake pan. Let rest for another hour until doubled in size
4. Bake bread for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Let rest 5 minutes in pan before inverting onto a serving plate.
5. Mix powdered sugar and vanilla briefly and pour over warm cake.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Apple Currant Bread

Oh, fond memories of childhood.  That's what this fabulous fall bread brings back to me.  My Mom used to bake all the time when I was growing up. (Hmmmm ... were you wondering where I got it from??  The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, right?)  And this apple currant bread was one of my absolute favorites in her line-up.

Fresh apple.  Sweet currants.  Just a hint of cinnamon.  The crunch of chopped pecans.  Isn't that the perfect blend of fall flavors?  If it's not, well then it's pretty close! 

I hadn't had this bread in years.  And had truly forgotten how much I like it.  Then, while leafing through my family's cookbook, it struck me - "Hey!  I need to make apple currant bread!"  So I did. 

Bake yourself up a loaf of this beautiful bread, slice off a big hunk, and dig in.  You'll be glad you did.



Apple Currant Bread
Source:  My Mom

Ingredients
1/3 c. butter
2/3 c. granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
2 eggs
2 T. milk
1 tsp. lemon juice
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. peeled shredded apple (about 2 medium or 1 very large apple)
1 c. dried currants
1/2 c. chopped nuts (I use pecans)


Directions
1.  Cream together butter, sugar, and cinnamon.  Beat in eggs until light and fluffy.  Beat in milk and lemon juice.

2.  Stir together dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture, stirring just until moistened.  Fold in shredded apple, currants, and nuts.

3.  Spoon into a greased loaf pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  (I let mine go for the full hour and I think I slightly over-cooked it.  I suggest starting to check a bit before an hour is up.)

Enjoy!

This post is linked with Tuesday Talent Show hosted by Chef in Training, Crazy Sweet Tuesday hosted by Crazy for Crust, Tasty Tuesday hosted by For the Love of Blogs, Tea Party Tuesday hosted by Sweetology, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday hosted by Blessed With Grace, It's a Keeper Thursday hosted by It's a Keeper, These Chicks Cooked hosted by This Chick Cooks, Foodie Friday hosted by Designs by Gollum,  Inspiration Friday hosted by At the Picket Fence, Sweets for a Saturday hosted by Sweet as Sugar Cookies, Sweet Indulgences Sunday hosted by A Well-Seasoned Life, Sundae Scoop hosted by I {heart} Naptime, Think Pink Sundays hosted by Flamingo Toes, Savvy Homemade Monday hosted by Home Savvy A to Z, Tasty Tuesday hosted by Naptime Creations, 12 Days of Christmas Goodies hosted by Mom's Crazy Cooking, Countdown to 2012 - Best Breads hosted by Finding Joy in My Kitchen, A Themed Baker's Sunday hosted by Cupcake Apothecary.

Oh, fond memories of childhood.  That's what this fabulous fall bread brings back to me.  My Mom used to bake all the time when I was growing up. (Hmmmm ... were you wondering where I got it from??  The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, right?)  And this apple currant bread was one of my absolute favorites in her line-up.

Fresh apple.  Sweet currants.  Just a hint of cinnamon.  The crunch of chopped pecans.  Isn't that the perfect blend of fall flavors?  If it's not, well then it's pretty close! 

I hadn't had this bread in years.  And had truly forgotten how much I like it.  Then, while leafing through my family's cookbook, it struck me - "Hey!  I need to make apple currant bread!"  So I did. 

Bake yourself up a loaf of this beautiful bread, slice off a big hunk, and dig in.  You'll be glad you did.



Apple Currant Bread
Source:  My Mom

Ingredients
1/3 c. butter
2/3 c. granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
2 eggs
2 T. milk
1 tsp. lemon juice
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. peeled shredded apple (about 2 medium or 1 very large apple)
1 c. dried currants
1/2 c. chopped nuts (I use pecans)


Directions
1.  Cream together butter, sugar, and cinnamon.  Beat in eggs until light and fluffy.  Beat in milk and lemon juice.

2.  Stir together dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture, stirring just until moistened.  Fold in shredded apple, currants, and nuts.

3.  Spoon into a greased loaf pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  (I let mine go for the full hour and I think I slightly over-cooked it.  I suggest starting to check a bit before an hour is up.)

Enjoy!

This post is linked with Tuesday Talent Show hosted by Chef in Training, Crazy Sweet Tuesday hosted by Crazy for Crust, Tasty Tuesday hosted by For the Love of Blogs, Tea Party Tuesday hosted by Sweetology, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday hosted by Blessed With Grace, It's a Keeper Thursday hosted by It's a Keeper, These Chicks Cooked hosted by This Chick Cooks, Foodie Friday hosted by Designs by Gollum,  Inspiration Friday hosted by At the Picket Fence, Sweets for a Saturday hosted by Sweet as Sugar Cookies, Sweet Indulgences Sunday hosted by A Well-Seasoned Life, Sundae Scoop hosted by I {heart} Naptime, Think Pink Sundays hosted by Flamingo Toes, Savvy Homemade Monday hosted by Home Savvy A to Z, Tasty Tuesday hosted by Naptime Creations, 12 Days of Christmas Goodies hosted by Mom's Crazy Cooking, Countdown to 2012 - Best Breads hosted by Finding Joy in My Kitchen, A Themed Baker's Sunday hosted by Cupcake Apothecary.

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Creamed Pearl Onion Gratin ~ a Thanksgiving favorite at our house

I love to hear what foods are Thanksgiving traditions for different families.  There are so many wonderfully decadent dishes that are staples on our Thanksgiving menus!  For our family, some form of an onion dish has always graced our Thanksgiving table.  And I must say, aside from stuffing (that's my absolute favorite), the onion dish is the one I look forward to most.

In recent years ... say, for the last six years or so ... this Creamed Pearl Onion Gratin has become our traditional Thanksgiving onion dish.  And man, is it delicious!!  I'm so glad my Mom decided to give this recipe a chance on the Thanksgiving menu.  She's made it ever since it's debut.

The only sort of 'troublesome' part of this recipe for us was the peeling of the pearl onions.  See, for us, one 'batch' of this recipe, which calls for 10 ounces of fresh pearl onions, was absolutely not enough.  We had to (at least!) triple the recipe ... which left Mom and I peeling at least 30 ounces of pearl onions on Thanksgiving morning.  Not a real fun job.  Which meant that job usually fell to me.  See, for Thanksgiving dinner, Mom is the head chef.  I'm the sous chef.  You know what that means.  (Sidenote: Though I think Mom is gradually trying to sneakily transfer her Thanksgiving head chef duties to me.  I'm not being real cooperative with that.)

Given the un-fun onion peeling task, I decided it was worth giving this dish a test run using frozen pearl onions.  Yes, peeling the onions is that much of a pain for us that we were willing to consider forgoing fresh onions.  So, last week I did a pre-Thanksgiving trial run with frozen little pearls.

Guess what?  It worked!!  Beautifully.  And soooooo much easier! 

Now, I'm not saying to give up on fresh pearl onions ... they are absolutely delicious.  And if you don't mind peeling little baby onions, or have just tons of help in the kitchen, then go for it!  I'm just saying that, now, we have options.  I love options.


So how do you make this creamy cheesey onion yumminess, you say?  Well, I'm so glad you asked!  'Cause I'm all prepared to show you.

Start by making a basic white sauce.  Melt butter in a saucepan and then whisk in some flour until it's thick and smooth.  This will be the thickener, and will produce a nice creamy-textured sauce for the onions.

Base of the white sauce

Next, gradually whisk in half-and-half  and cook until thick.  Then stir in some grated white cheddar cheese.  Being originally from Vermont, I (of course!) use Cabot sharp cheddar.  (Another sidenote:  If you are a frequent reader of this blog, you know that I firmly stand by Vermont maple syrup and Vermont cheddar cheese from Cabot Creamery!  Prior to these products being readily available in North Carolina, I used to have them shipped to me.  And no, Vermont and Cabot do not pay me to say these things!  Now back to onions ...)

Doesn't that white sauce look gorgeous??  I know, I may get just a tiny bit too excited about food.  Oh well, there are worse things in life.

Voila!  White sauce.

Now add in your pearl onions and stir 'em around 'til they're all beautifully coated in gorgeous-and-creamy white sauce.

Yummy pearl onions coated in white cheddar white sauce

Transfer the onion mixture to a baking dish and top it with additional white cheddar cheese and fresh bread crumbs spiked with fresh thyme.  While I will substitute frozen onions for fresh, I don't recommend skipping fresh bread crumbs and fresh thyme.  I'll stay true to the fresh on those.

Fresh bread crumbs with fresh thyme

Bake it up until the onion mixture is nice and bubbly and the top is golden brown.

Baked and beautiful

Then dig in and enjoy.  Yum.  Our Thanksgiving table just wouldn't be complete without this!

I'd love to hear what you just can't live without on Thanksgiving.  Leave me a comment about your faves!

Yum!

Creamed Onion Gratin

Source:  Adapted from Southern Living

Ingredients

Creamed Onions:

10-12 oz. package fresh pearl onions OR 16 oz. package frozen pearl onions

2 T. butter

2 T. flour

1 1/4 c. half-and-half

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. ground mustard

Dash of ground nutmeg

1 1/2 c. (6 oz.) shredded white cheddar cheese, divided  (I use Cabot sharp cheddar)

Crumb Topping:

4 T. butter, melted

1 1/4 c. fresh breadcrumbs (about 3 slices of bread; I use whole wheat)

1 or 2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme

Directions

For the Creamed Onions:  

1.  If using fresh onions, peel onions and place in a saucepan; add water to cover.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 6 to 8 minutes or until onions are just tender.  If using frozen onions, thaw; heat in the microwave or simmer on the stovetop for 3 to 4 minutes until onions are just tender.  Drain well.  Set aside.

2.  Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat; add flour, stirring until smooth.  Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Gradually add half-and-half; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened.  

3.  Add salt, pepper, ground mustard, and nutmeg.  Add 1 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese; stir until cheese melts.  Gently stir in drained onions.

4.  Pour onion mixture into a lightly greased 1-quart baking dish.  Sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese.

For the Crumb Topping:  

5.  Combine breadcrumbs and chopped thyme.  Toss breadcrumbs with the 4 tablespoons of melted butter until crumbs are well coated.  Sprinkle evenly over onion mixture.

6.  Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, until thoroughly heated through and the top is golden.

Enjoy! 

This post is linked with Sharing Sundays hosted by Everyday Sisters, Sundae Scoop hosted by I {heart} Naptime, Think Pink Sundays hosted by Flamingo Toes, Cure for the Common Monday hosted by Lines Across My Face, Savvy Homemade Monday hosted by Home Savvy A to Z, Market Yourself Monday hosted by Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Mangia Mondays hosted by Shine Your Light, Tuesday Talent Show hosted by Chef in Training, Tasty Tuesday hosted by For the Love of Blogs, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday hosted by Blessed with Grace, It's a Keeper Thursday hosted by It's a Keeper, These Chicks Cooked hosted by This Chick Cooks, Foodie Friday hosted by Designs by Gollum, Inspiration Friday hosted by At the Picket Fence, Favorite Vegetable Recipes hosted by FavDiets, Sweet Indulgences Sunday hosted by A Well-Seasoned Life, This Week's Cravings hosted by Mom's Crazy Cooking.

I love to hear what foods are Thanksgiving traditions for different families.  There are so many wonderfully decadent dishes that are staples on our Thanksgiving menus!  For our family, some form of an onion dish has always graced our Thanksgiving table.  And I must say, aside from stuffing (that's my absolute favorite), the onion dish is the one I look forward to most.

In recent years ... say, for the last six years or so ... this Creamed Pearl Onion Gratin has become our traditional Thanksgiving onion dish.  And man, is it delicious!!  I'm so glad my Mom decided to give this recipe a chance on the Thanksgiving menu.  She's made it ever since it's debut.

The only sort of 'troublesome' part of this recipe for us was the peeling of the pearl onions.  See, for us, one 'batch' of this recipe, which calls for 10 ounces of fresh pearl onions, was absolutely not enough.  We had to (at least!) triple the recipe ... which left Mom and I peeling at least 30 ounces of pearl onions on Thanksgiving morning.  Not a real fun job.  Which meant that job usually fell to me.  See, for Thanksgiving dinner, Mom is the head chef.  I'm the sous chef.  You know what that means.  (Sidenote: Though I think Mom is gradually trying to sneakily transfer her Thanksgiving head chef duties to me.  I'm not being real cooperative with that.)

Given the un-fun onion peeling task, I decided it was worth giving this dish a test run using frozen pearl onions.  Yes, peeling the onions is that much of a pain for us that we were willing to consider forgoing fresh onions.  So, last week I did a pre-Thanksgiving trial run with frozen little pearls.

Guess what?  It worked!!  Beautifully.  And soooooo much easier! 

Now, I'm not saying to give up on fresh pearl onions ... they are absolutely delicious.  And if you don't mind peeling little baby onions, or have just tons of help in the kitchen, then go for it!  I'm just saying that, now, we have options.  I love options.


So how do you make this creamy cheesey onion yumminess, you say?  Well, I'm so glad you asked!  'Cause I'm all prepared to show you.

Start by making a basic white sauce.  Melt butter in a saucepan and then whisk in some flour until it's thick and smooth.  This will be the thickener, and will produce a nice creamy-textured sauce for the onions.

Base of the white sauce

Next, gradually whisk in half-and-half  and cook until thick.  Then stir in some grated white cheddar cheese.  Being originally from Vermont, I (of course!) use Cabot sharp cheddar.  (Another sidenote:  If you are a frequent reader of this blog, you know that I firmly stand by Vermont maple syrup and Vermont cheddar cheese from Cabot Creamery!  Prior to these products being readily available in North Carolina, I used to have them shipped to me.  And no, Vermont and Cabot do not pay me to say these things!  Now back to onions ...)

Doesn't that white sauce look gorgeous??  I know, I may get just a tiny bit too excited about food.  Oh well, there are worse things in life.

Voila!  White sauce.

Now add in your pearl onions and stir 'em around 'til they're all beautifully coated in gorgeous-and-creamy white sauce.

Yummy pearl onions coated in white cheddar white sauce

Transfer the onion mixture to a baking dish and top it with additional white cheddar cheese and fresh bread crumbs spiked with fresh thyme.  While I will substitute frozen onions for fresh, I don't recommend skipping fresh bread crumbs and fresh thyme.  I'll stay true to the fresh on those.

Fresh bread crumbs with fresh thyme

Bake it up until the onion mixture is nice and bubbly and the top is golden brown.

Baked and beautiful

Then dig in and enjoy.  Yum.  Our Thanksgiving table just wouldn't be complete without this!

I'd love to hear what you just can't live without on Thanksgiving.  Leave me a comment about your faves!

Yum!

Creamed Onion Gratin

Source:  Adapted from Southern Living

Ingredients

Creamed Onions:

10-12 oz. package fresh pearl onions OR 16 oz. package frozen pearl onions

2 T. butter

2 T. flour

1 1/4 c. half-and-half

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. ground mustard

Dash of ground nutmeg

1 1/2 c. (6 oz.) shredded white cheddar cheese, divided  (I use Cabot sharp cheddar)

Crumb Topping:

4 T. butter, melted

1 1/4 c. fresh breadcrumbs (about 3 slices of bread; I use whole wheat)

1 or 2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme

Directions

For the Creamed Onions:  

1.  If using fresh onions, peel onions and place in a saucepan; add water to cover.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 6 to 8 minutes or until onions are just tender.  If using frozen onions, thaw; heat in the microwave or simmer on the stovetop for 3 to 4 minutes until onions are just tender.  Drain well.  Set aside.

2.  Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat; add flour, stirring until smooth.  Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Gradually add half-and-half; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened.  

3.  Add salt, pepper, ground mustard, and nutmeg.  Add 1 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese; stir until cheese melts.  Gently stir in drained onions.

4.  Pour onion mixture into a lightly greased 1-quart baking dish.  Sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese.

For the Crumb Topping:  

5.  Combine breadcrumbs and chopped thyme.  Toss breadcrumbs with the 4 tablespoons of melted butter until crumbs are well coated.  Sprinkle evenly over onion mixture.

6.  Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, until thoroughly heated through and the top is golden.

Enjoy! 

This post is linked with Sharing Sundays hosted by Everyday Sisters, Sundae Scoop hosted by I {heart} Naptime, Think Pink Sundays hosted by Flamingo Toes, Cure for the Common Monday hosted by Lines Across My Face, Savvy Homemade Monday hosted by Home Savvy A to Z, Market Yourself Monday hosted by Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Mangia Mondays hosted by Shine Your Light, Tuesday Talent Show hosted by Chef in Training, Tasty Tuesday hosted by For the Love of Blogs, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday hosted by Blessed with Grace, It's a Keeper Thursday hosted by It's a Keeper, These Chicks Cooked hosted by This Chick Cooks, Foodie Friday hosted by Designs by Gollum, Inspiration Friday hosted by At the Picket Fence, Favorite Vegetable Recipes hosted by FavDiets, Sweet Indulgences Sunday hosted by A Well-Seasoned Life, This Week's Cravings hosted by Mom's Crazy Cooking.

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Cake of Roses

Meet Marissa's 6th Birthday Cake.  Isn't she lovely? 

She had originally asked for a horse cake, but since I knew I was going to have a 2-3 week old baby consuming most of my attention, I wouldn't have the time or energy to attempt what she desired, so I talked her into a rose cake.  I first saw it on foodgawker and was completely smitten.  There are several such cakes on there by different bloggers - the first one I ever saw was posted by I Am Baker.

She has a lovely tutorial on how to make this cake and so I took her method and my ideas for flavors and here we are. 

The great thing about it is that this beautiful cake can be achieved with just a 1M tip. 

(it took me a few months to get one - our local stores were consistently out of stock every time I checked, which was often - when I finally found them, I bought 2!)

Per Marissa's request, I made a chocolate cake using this recipe for Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes, along with the raspberry filling and Raspberry Buttercream Frosting (a double batch).  The cake recipe made 3 layers - which I baked ahead of time and froze to make them easier to trim and frost.  This cake is extremely moist and can be difficult to frost, but the taste and texture are SO worth it. 

After a bit of deliberation, I decided the raspberry filling wasn't thick enough to be a sufficient filling between the layers, so I added a chocolate mousse copied from this cake.   

Then all was left was to give the cake a thin coat of the buttercream and then pipe the roses. 

Easy breezy! 

 I've never finished decorating a birthday cake so fast! 
I could have been a little neater on the piping job, but I had a sweet little newborn calling for me, so I rushed a bit. 

Marissa with her cake - she LOVED it!

And for the record, it should be refrigerated - if you leave it out at room temperature too long (most of the day) and only half of the cake is left - this might just happen.

We didn't see it happen - but it had been leaning a bit, which concerned me, and while we were getting the kids to bed, it decided to fall apart.   Thankfully, all the festivities were over.  I did salvage the cake and we did eat it and enjoy it tremendously - but it sure wasn't pretty anymore!

Linked to Birthday Cake Round-up

Meet Marissa's 6th Birthday Cake.  Isn't she lovely? 

She had originally asked for a horse cake, but since I knew I was going to have a 2-3 week old baby consuming most of my attention, I wouldn't have the time or energy to attempt what she desired, so I talked her into a rose cake.  I first saw it on foodgawker and was completely smitten.  There are several such cakes on there by different bloggers - the first one I ever saw was posted by I Am Baker.

She has a lovely tutorial on how to make this cake and so I took her method and my ideas for flavors and here we are. 

The great thing about it is that this beautiful cake can be achieved with just a 1M tip. 

(it took me a few months to get one - our local stores were consistently out of stock every time I checked, which was often - when I finally found them, I bought 2!)

Per Marissa's request, I made a chocolate cake using this recipe for Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes, along with the raspberry filling and Raspberry Buttercream Frosting (a double batch).  The cake recipe made 3 layers - which I baked ahead of time and froze to make them easier to trim and frost.  This cake is extremely moist and can be difficult to frost, but the taste and texture are SO worth it. 

After a bit of deliberation, I decided the raspberry filling wasn't thick enough to be a sufficient filling between the layers, so I added a chocolate mousse copied from this cake.   

Then all was left was to give the cake a thin coat of the buttercream and then pipe the roses. 

Easy breezy! 

 I've never finished decorating a birthday cake so fast! 
I could have been a little neater on the piping job, but I had a sweet little newborn calling for me, so I rushed a bit. 

Marissa with her cake - she LOVED it!

And for the record, it should be refrigerated - if you leave it out at room temperature too long (most of the day) and only half of the cake is left - this might just happen.

We didn't see it happen - but it had been leaning a bit, which concerned me, and while we were getting the kids to bed, it decided to fall apart.   Thankfully, all the festivities were over.  I did salvage the cake and we did eat it and enjoy it tremendously - but it sure wasn't pretty anymore!

Linked to Birthday Cake Round-up

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English Muffins-- Complete with Nooks and Crannies

Doesn't everyone have fond memories of Thomas' English Muffins, purchased from the grocery store in packages of 6? They were chewy and brown on the outside. Best of all, they had those delightful nooks and crannies that soaked up more butter than you would ever think imaginable.

I've tried making english muffins in the past but I was never happy with the recipe. They were always too much like pan fried dinner rolls. This recipe (taken from Alton Brown) is a lot more like yeasted pancakes made into rings, but the use of powdered milk and salt gives it a greater depth of flavor (I used powdered buttermilk). I will, for sure, make this recipe again.

As always, this post has been submitted to Yeastspotting.

English Muffins

Ingredients

• ½ cup powdered milk
• 1 T sugar
• 1 t salt
• 1 T shortening
• 1 cup hot water
• ⅛ t sugar
• ⅓ cup warm water
• 2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 pack of yeast

Directions

1. Combine milk, 1 T sugar, ½ t salt, shortening and hot water until dissolved. Cool to room temperature
2. Combine yeast, warm water and sugar in separate bowl until dissolved.
3. Add yeast to milk mixture. Add flour and beat with a spoon. Allow mix to rest 45 minutes before adding the remaining ½ t salt
4. Preheat a skillet and spoon into 3 inch rings (canning lids, or a tuna can with top and bottom cut out). Cook 5 minutes on each side, making sure to cover the top of the can with a weight to keep the muffin from expanding too much.
5. Split with fork to keep all the nooks and crannies.

Doesn't everyone have fond memories of Thomas' English Muffins, purchased from the grocery store in packages of 6? They were chewy and brown on the outside. Best of all, they had those delightful nooks and crannies that soaked up more butter than you would ever think imaginable.

I've tried making english muffins in the past but I was never happy with the recipe. They were always too much like pan fried dinner rolls. This recipe (taken from Alton Brown) is a lot more like yeasted pancakes made into rings, but the use of powdered milk and salt gives it a greater depth of flavor (I used powdered buttermilk). I will, for sure, make this recipe again.

As always, this post has been submitted to Yeastspotting.

English Muffins

Ingredients

• ½ cup powdered milk
• 1 T sugar
• 1 t salt
• 1 T shortening
• 1 cup hot water
• ⅛ t sugar
• ⅓ cup warm water
• 2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 pack of yeast

Directions

1. Combine milk, 1 T sugar, ½ t salt, shortening and hot water until dissolved. Cool to room temperature
2. Combine yeast, warm water and sugar in separate bowl until dissolved.
3. Add yeast to milk mixture. Add flour and beat with a spoon. Allow mix to rest 45 minutes before adding the remaining ½ t salt
4. Preheat a skillet and spoon into 3 inch rings (canning lids, or a tuna can with top and bottom cut out). Cook 5 minutes on each side, making sure to cover the top of the can with a weight to keep the muffin from expanding too much.
5. Split with fork to keep all the nooks and crannies.

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Fudgy Mint Cookies

These have to be some of the easiest cookies I've ever made. 

And some of the tastiest.  

Okay, so they do use a cake mix, which I generally try to avoid.....

but for these delicious morsels, I'm willing to make an exception.  

Chewy, fudgy, chocolaty, with little chunks of minty goodness in every bite, 

they're a huge hit wherever I take them.  

Recipe:  (adapted slightly from Taste of Home)

1 Devil's Food Cake Mix

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1 T. water

2 eggs

1/2 package of Andes Mint Baking Chips

4 T. powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 375°.

In a large bowl, beat the cake mix, butter, and water until well combined.  Beat in eggs.  Stir in Andes baking chips.  Shape into 1-inch balls; roll in powdered sugar.  Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until set.

Allow to cool for 2 minutes before removing to a wire rack. 

Yield: about 3 dozen

These have to be some of the easiest cookies I've ever made. 

And some of the tastiest.  

Okay, so they do use a cake mix, which I generally try to avoid.....

but for these delicious morsels, I'm willing to make an exception.  

Chewy, fudgy, chocolaty, with little chunks of minty goodness in every bite, 

they're a huge hit wherever I take them.  

Recipe:  (adapted slightly from Taste of Home)

1 Devil's Food Cake Mix

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1 T. water

2 eggs

1/2 package of Andes Mint Baking Chips

4 T. powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 375°.

In a large bowl, beat the cake mix, butter, and water until well combined.  Beat in eggs.  Stir in Andes baking chips.  Shape into 1-inch balls; roll in powdered sugar.  Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until set.

Allow to cool for 2 minutes before removing to a wire rack. 

Yield: about 3 dozen

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Classic Pumpkin Cake Roll with Cream Cheese Filling

If you are a frequent reader of The Kitchen is My Playground, you know I'm cooking my way through my family's cookbook ~ slowly, but surely.  Well, this week I tackled a recipe that scared me ~ the classic Pumpkin Cake Roll my Mom used to make when I was growing up.

I'm so happy to say that I can report success with this one!  Because I had concerns.  Alas, I am scared no more.  While this creation is a bit nerve-wracking the first time through, the beautiful and absolutely scrumptious result is worth the tiny bit of wear-and-tear on the nerves.

After my afternoon adventure with this cake, which included three in-process phone calls to my Mom, I can now walk you through its creation step-by-step.  Complete with tips from Mom, of course.

So, how do you create this classic confection, you ask?  Start by lining a jelly roll pan with waxed paper.  MOM TIP #1:  Mom says this is very important.  Do not skip this step.  Or you'll be sad later.

The all-important waxed paper

Then whip up the cake batter, being sure to beat the eggs for the full 5 minutes called for in the recipe.  This incorporates air into the batter and creates a light, springy cake.  You'll like it this way, I promise.

Spread the batter into your prepared jelly roll pan, like so ...

Light & airy batter

... and sprinkle evenly with the finely chopped walnuts.

Nuts!

Bake up the cake.  And now comes nerve-wracking part #1 ... turning the cake out of the pan.  This part made me sooooooo nervous.  To get ready for this nail-biter step, spread a towel out on your counter and sprinkle it generously with powdered sugar.  Okay, now take about three deep breaths.

Take your cake out of the oven ... take a few more deep breaths ... and immediately flip your pan over onto your powder-sugared towel.  Say a little prayer that when you lift up the pan, you'll have a cake sitting there neatly separated from the pan.

Now, go ahead -- lift up the pan.  Keep saying your prayer ... cross your fingers ... whatever you do ... until you see ...

And I'm thinking - "Please, oh, please, come out of the pan in one piece!  Please!!"

... THIS!!  Yay!  A cake!  I was so excited that mine came out of the pan in one piece.

Time now to peel off the waxed paper.  I had to do a little coaxing with mine.  I very gently worked on the corners first, loosening them carefully.  Next, I got all the edges loosened ...

Gently coaxing off the waxed paper edges & corners

... and after that, the rest of the waxed paper peeled up really easily.

Peeling away!

Now comes nerve-wracking part #2 ... rolling up the warm cake.  TIP FROM MOM #2:  Roll it up tightly, gently, and slowly.

Towel-and-all, gently roll the cake up into a log, keeping it as tight as you can.  Then set it aside to cool to room temperature.

Rolling ...

And now we're onto nerve-wracking part #3 ... unrolling the cooled cake.

Once your cake is cooled, very gently unroll it.  TIP FROM MOM #3:  Unroll very slowly!!  To quote Mom, "This thing will crack on you." 

And, yep, mine sure did.  See those three or so big cracks?  Moving slowly helps avoid this.  I moved slowly, but still couldn't avoid a few cracks.  I just gently squished the cake back together, and 'glued' the cracks up with cream cheese filling.

... and unrolling

Spread the cream cheese filling evenly over the unrolled cake.  And, now, roll it back up!  Just as before, keep it tight and roll slowly.  Oh, and this time, leave the towel out of the cake roll.  :-)

Rolling again!

Success!!  Isn't it gorgeous?

Beautiful success!

Transfer this beauty to a serving platter and chill.  The cake that is.  And you, too.  You deserve a little chillin' after all your hard work.

After the cake has chilled, serve yourself up a big slice and enjoy.  And, WOW, is this ever good!  Totally worth the frayed nerves.  Thanks for the coaching, Mom!

Pumpkin Cake Roll with Cream Cheese Filling

Source:  My Mom - and I'd bet she got the recipe from Libby's years ago!

Ingredients

Cake:

3 eggs

1 c. granulated sugar

2/3 c. pumpkin puree (100% pure pumpkin)

1 tsp. lemon juice

3/4 c. flour

1 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. finely chopped walnuts

Powdered sugar

Cream Cheese Filling:

1 c. powdered sugar

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

4 T. butter, softened

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Directions

For the Cake:  

1.  Grease a 15x10x1" jellyroll pan; line with waxed paper or parchment paper (this is very important!).  Lightly spray waxed paper with cooking spray.

2.  Beat eggs on high speed for 5 minutes; then gradually beat in granulated sugar.  Stir in pumpkin and lemon juice.

3.  Stir together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.  Fold into pumpkin mixture.  Spread batter into prepared pan.  Top with finely chopped walnuts. 

4.  Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.  Immediately turn out onto a towel sprinkled with powdered sugar.  Carefully remove waxed paper.  Starting at the narrow end of the cake, roll towel and cake up together.  Cool.  Once cool, slowly and gently unroll cake.

For the Cream Cheese Filling:  

5.  Combine powdered sugar, cream cheese, butter, and vanilla; beat until smooth.  Spread evenly over cooled cake.  

6.  Roll cake back up.  Chill.

Enjoy!

This post is linked with Market Yourself Monday hosted by Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Tasty Tuesday hosted by For the Love of Blogs, Crazy Sweet Tuesday hosted by Crazy for Crust, Tea Time Tuesday hosted by Sweetology, Tuesday Talent Show hosted by Chef in Training, These Chicks Cooked hosed by This Chick Cooks, It's a Keeper Thursday hosted by It's a Keeper, Foodie Friday hosted by Designs by Gollum, Weekend Bloggy Reading hosted by Serenity Now, Inspiration Friday hosted by At the Picket Fence, Freshmen Friday hosted by Home Savvy A to Z, Friday Favorites hosted by Simply Sweet Home, Sweets for a Saturday hosted by Sweet as Sugar Cookies, Sweet Indulgences Sunday hosted by A Well-Seasoned Life, Sharing Sundays hosted by Everyday Sisters, Think Pink Sundays hosted by Flamingo Toes, This Week's Cravings hosted by Mom's Crazy Cooking, A Themed Baker's Sunday hosted by Cupcake Apothecary.

If you are a frequent reader of The Kitchen is My Playground, you know I'm cooking my way through my family's cookbook ~ slowly, but surely.  Well, this week I tackled a recipe that scared me ~ the classic Pumpkin Cake Roll my Mom used to make when I was growing up.

I'm so happy to say that I can report success with this one!  Because I had concerns.  Alas, I am scared no more.  While this creation is a bit nerve-wracking the first time through, the beautiful and absolutely scrumptious result is worth the tiny bit of wear-and-tear on the nerves.

After my afternoon adventure with this cake, which included three in-process phone calls to my Mom, I can now walk you through its creation step-by-step.  Complete with tips from Mom, of course.

So, how do you create this classic confection, you ask?  Start by lining a jelly roll pan with waxed paper.  MOM TIP #1:  Mom says this is very important.  Do not skip this step.  Or you'll be sad later.

The all-important waxed paper

Then whip up the cake batter, being sure to beat the eggs for the full 5 minutes called for in the recipe.  This incorporates air into the batter and creates a light, springy cake.  You'll like it this way, I promise.

Spread the batter into your prepared jelly roll pan, like so ...

Light & airy batter

... and sprinkle evenly with the finely chopped walnuts.

Nuts!

Bake up the cake.  And now comes nerve-wracking part #1 ... turning the cake out of the pan.  This part made me sooooooo nervous.  To get ready for this nail-biter step, spread a towel out on your counter and sprinkle it generously with powdered sugar.  Okay, now take about three deep breaths.

Take your cake out of the oven ... take a few more deep breaths ... and immediately flip your pan over onto your powder-sugared towel.  Say a little prayer that when you lift up the pan, you'll have a cake sitting there neatly separated from the pan.

Now, go ahead -- lift up the pan.  Keep saying your prayer ... cross your fingers ... whatever you do ... until you see ...

And I'm thinking - "Please, oh, please, come out of the pan in one piece!  Please!!"

... THIS!!  Yay!  A cake!  I was so excited that mine came out of the pan in one piece.

Time now to peel off the waxed paper.  I had to do a little coaxing with mine.  I very gently worked on the corners first, loosening them carefully.  Next, I got all the edges loosened ...

Gently coaxing off the waxed paper edges & corners

... and after that, the rest of the waxed paper peeled up really easily.

Peeling away!

Now comes nerve-wracking part #2 ... rolling up the warm cake.  TIP FROM MOM #2:  Roll it up tightly, gently, and slowly.

Towel-and-all, gently roll the cake up into a log, keeping it as tight as you can.  Then set it aside to cool to room temperature.

Rolling ...

And now we're onto nerve-wracking part #3 ... unrolling the cooled cake.

Once your cake is cooled, very gently unroll it.  TIP FROM MOM #3:  Unroll very slowly!!  To quote Mom, "This thing will crack on you." 

And, yep, mine sure did.  See those three or so big cracks?  Moving slowly helps avoid this.  I moved slowly, but still couldn't avoid a few cracks.  I just gently squished the cake back together, and 'glued' the cracks up with cream cheese filling.

... and unrolling

Spread the cream cheese filling evenly over the unrolled cake.  And, now, roll it back up!  Just as before, keep it tight and roll slowly.  Oh, and this time, leave the towel out of the cake roll.  :-)

Rolling again!

Success!!  Isn't it gorgeous?

Beautiful success!

Transfer this beauty to a serving platter and chill.  The cake that is.  And you, too.  You deserve a little chillin' after all your hard work.

After the cake has chilled, serve yourself up a big slice and enjoy.  And, WOW, is this ever good!  Totally worth the frayed nerves.  Thanks for the coaching, Mom!

Pumpkin Cake Roll with Cream Cheese Filling

Source:  My Mom - and I'd bet she got the recipe from Libby's years ago!

Ingredients

Cake:

3 eggs

1 c. granulated sugar

2/3 c. pumpkin puree (100% pure pumpkin)

1 tsp. lemon juice

3/4 c. flour

1 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. finely chopped walnuts

Powdered sugar

Cream Cheese Filling:

1 c. powdered sugar

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

4 T. butter, softened

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Directions

For the Cake:  

1.  Grease a 15x10x1" jellyroll pan; line with waxed paper or parchment paper (this is very important!).  Lightly spray waxed paper with cooking spray.

2.  Beat eggs on high speed for 5 minutes; then gradually beat in granulated sugar.  Stir in pumpkin and lemon juice.

3.  Stir together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.  Fold into pumpkin mixture.  Spread batter into prepared pan.  Top with finely chopped walnuts. 

4.  Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.  Immediately turn out onto a towel sprinkled with powdered sugar.  Carefully remove waxed paper.  Starting at the narrow end of the cake, roll towel and cake up together.  Cool.  Once cool, slowly and gently unroll cake.

For the Cream Cheese Filling:  

5.  Combine powdered sugar, cream cheese, butter, and vanilla; beat until smooth.  Spread evenly over cooled cake.  

6.  Roll cake back up.  Chill.

Enjoy!

This post is linked with Market Yourself Monday hosted by Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Tasty Tuesday hosted by For the Love of Blogs, Crazy Sweet Tuesday hosted by Crazy for Crust, Tea Time Tuesday hosted by Sweetology, Tuesday Talent Show hosted by Chef in Training, These Chicks Cooked hosed by This Chick Cooks, It's a Keeper Thursday hosted by It's a Keeper, Foodie Friday hosted by Designs by Gollum, Weekend Bloggy Reading hosted by Serenity Now, Inspiration Friday hosted by At the Picket Fence, Freshmen Friday hosted by Home Savvy A to Z, Friday Favorites hosted by Simply Sweet Home, Sweets for a Saturday hosted by Sweet as Sugar Cookies, Sweet Indulgences Sunday hosted by A Well-Seasoned Life, Sharing Sundays hosted by Everyday Sisters, Think Pink Sundays hosted by Flamingo Toes, This Week's Cravings hosted by Mom's Crazy Cooking, A Themed Baker's Sunday hosted by Cupcake Apothecary.

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