Hey everyone! I'm very sorry I haven't posted anything lately. I have been baking though, not enough, but enough to sustain me. When I'm not buzzing around schoolwork, social life and frequent trips to Lake Harriet for another round of exercise, I am baking. Translation: not enough.

Even though I don't bake often, I do take my baking very seriously. I make anything from laborious and intriquent morsels to mud pies. :) The motto: "practice makes perfect" doesn't apply to me and baking. I know the tricks and techniques, and yes, I do have a few quirks and mishaps...but doesn't everybody?

And if we're getting on the "quirky" side of baking then I suppose that I should show you my newest recipe that I created only a few weeks ago!

*drumroll*

Elvish Lembas Bread!


*drools* If you know me, than you probably will know that I am a huge fan of LOTR. I have every book and the directors cut movies. I could recite every line of each movie if you wanted me to (that's right, I have watched them that many times). And I had the biggest crush on Legolas for a long period of time. After seeing them eat lembas bread all the time, I made a vow that someday I would find a recipe and make the stuff. Result: Successful. I found a website: http://www.haldiroflorien.com/index.php and I found the recipe. I had all the ingredients in the fridge or pantry and ready to go. This was going to be fun.

ngredients:
• 2 1/2 cups of flour
• 1 tablespoon of baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 8 tablespoons of cold butter (1 stick)
• 1/3 cup of brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon maple syrup/honey
• 2/3 cup of milk/heavy cream (or more, if necessary)
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla

Instructions:
1) Preheat oven to 220 degrees Celcius (425 degrees Fahrenheit).
2) Mix the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl.
3) Add the butter and mix with a fork or a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles fine granules.
4) Add the sugar and cinnamon, and mix them thoroughly into the mixture.
5) Add the milk/cream and vanilla and stir them in with a fork until a nice, thick dough forms.
6) Roll the dough out about 1/2 in thickness.
7) Cut out 3-inch squares and transfer the dough to a cookie sheet.
8) Criss-cross (DO NOT cut all the way) each square from corner-to-corner with a knife.
9) Bake for about 12 minutes or more (depending on the thickness of the bread) until it is set and lightly golden.

(the recipe makes about 10-12 pieces of lembas)




















This was the most delicious quick bread I have ever had BY FAR. The texture was soft and slightly doughy, making each bite a piece of fluffy heaven...*sighs* Not only the texture but the taste. Even the tiny proportions of those two ingredients made this bread delectable. Yum.

Blueberries n' Cream - Cream Puffs!

When I was younger, the thought of cream puffs made me think of sunny mornings in Paris. Sitting at a bistro listening to the locals mutter while munching on a cream puff and drinking a latte. Ahhhhh, bliss. Sadly, I don't have the cash to book a flight to Paris. Instead, I decided to bring Paris to me. I finally found something in "bon appetit Desserts" that I had all the ingredients for. Originally, they were supposed to be Strawberry Cream puffs. But I didn't have any of those on hand, so I used blueberries instead. I also created a different variation using icecream and nutella :D it's VERY good.

The dough making process was....interesting. You bring water, salt, sugar, and butter to boil and then add flour while it's boiling! How absurd! Despite the weirdness, delicious!

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All gone!
End result: Light and fluffy. The cream puff's saltiness is leveled with the sweetness and tartness of the blueberries.
Baker's rating (out of 5): ♥♥♥♥

Strawberry Cream puffs with Strawberry Sauce

Ingredients
Cream puffs
3/4 cups water
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
3/4 cup all purpose flour
3 large eggs

Filling (I replaced the crushed strawberries with the blueberries)
1 cup chilled whipping cream
1 teaspoon plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon kirsch (clear cherry brandy)
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 large strawberries, hulled

Strawberry sauce (my blueberry sauce was a bit different than this, but I'm sure this will work fine)
2 1-pint strawberries, hulled
3 tablespoons sugar

Powdered sugar to dust

For cream puffs:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine water, butter, salt and sugar in heavy medium saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring to melt butter. Add flour; using wooden spoon, stir vigorously until mixture clumps together, forming ball. Stir 1 minute longer. Remove from heat. Transfer dough to medium bowl. Using electric mixer, add eggs 1 at time, beating until dough is smooth after each addition (dough will be slightly soft and shiny).
Using 1 rounded tablespoon dough for each cream puff, spoon dough onto prepared baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart and forming mounds about 3/4 inch to 1 inch high and 1 1/4 inches in diameter. Using moist fingertips, gently press tops of cream puffs flatten any peaks. Bake until golden brown, about 37 minutes. Transfer baking sheet to rack; let cream puffs cool. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)

For filling:
Beat cream, 1 teaspoon sugar, kirsch and vanilla in medium bowl until stiff peaks form. Combine 6 strawberries and 2 tablespoons sugar in small bowl. Using fork, crush berries. Fold crush strawberry mixture into cream.
Cut top third off each cream puff. Place cream puff bottoms, cut side up, on plates. Spoon filling into bottoms, mounding slightly. Ladle sauce over, allowing sauce to spill onto plates. Top with cream puff tops. Dust with powdered sugar.
For sauce:
Puree 1 basket strawberries in processor. Transfer to bowl. Stir in sugar. Quarter remaining strawberries; add to sauce.
Makes about 2 1/3 cups.

Finally!

I finally found some time to bake AND take pictures. It's been awhile since I've done that. And now I can post a real baking blog! Woot! Right now our family and friends are celebrating my Grandpa's 80th Birthday. The big eight -ohhhhh. We asked him what he wanted for his birthday, he replied, "A chocolate cake." Now, I might warn you. I have never EVER made a chocolate cake before. Let alone any cake for that matter. I might've made one from a box along with some homemade frosting. But NEVER one from scratch. I've watched my Grandma bake a cake, my mom, and maybe some random person on a channel no one watches. I know the tips and techniques from reading baking books. And finally put them into full gear, I found the perfect recipe on BonAppetit.com. A Chocolate Cake with Milk Chocolate - Caramel Frosting :) Chocolate is a very versitle ingredient. Its used in tarts, mousses, cupcakes, cakes, candy, sauces, chicken dishes (ever hear of chicken mole? pronounced mo- lay)etc. It can help with getting an extra boost and dark chocolate is filled with antioxidents. And it goes wayy back in history. You can't go wrong with chocolate.

WARNING: CUPCAKES do NOT count as cake (I'm a big cupcake fan, but no, they are not a big honking cake.)



You start by sifting cake flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. The funny thing is, while I was sifting away the spring snapped. Luckily, I was done with the sifting when it decided to die out on me. The sad part is that I've had that sifter forever :(



Then you set the dry ingredients aside and you put room temp. unsalted butter and packed light brown sugar into a bowl and whip it until its fluffy and well blended. Then you add vanilla extract and eggs. I'm almost out of vanilla extract . I should get some more. After that the process is really simple.



















TaDa! Happy Birthday Grandpa!
P.S You may be wondering how I made the frosting. Sadly I did not take any pictures! :(
But it is muy delicioso!


Chocolate Cake with Caramel-Milk Chocolate Frosting
A classic chocolate layer cake with a new-fashioned, thick, and rich frosting. This treat can be made up to two days ahead.
Makes 12 servings

Ingredients - Cake
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
2 cups sifted cake flour (sifted, then measured)
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups (packed) golden brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (2 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Ingredients - Frosting
24 ounces imported milk chocolate (such as Lindt), finely chopped
3 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
2 1/4 cups whipping cream

Preparation
For cake
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides with nonstick spray. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper. Whisk flour and next 4 ingredients in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat brown sugar and butter in large bowl until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Beat in dry ingredients in 3 additions alternately with buttermilk in 2 additions. Beat in 1/2 cup lukewarm water. Stir in chocolate chips.
Divide batter among prepared pans (about 2 1/3 cups for each). Smooth tops. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 22 minutes. Cool completely in pans on racks. Invert cakes onto 9-inch-diameter cardboard rounds or tart pan bottoms (cakes are delicate). Peel off parchment.
For frosting
Combine milk chocolate and bittersweet chocolate in large bowl. Stir sugar and 1/2 cup water in medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Boil without stirring until syrup is deep amber color, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 10 minutes. Carefully and slowly add whipping cream (mixture will bubble vigorously). Stir over low heat until any hard caramel bits dissolve and mixture is smooth. Pour caramel over chocolate; let stand 1 minute to allow chocolate to soften, then whisk until chocolate is melted and smooth. Chill chocolate-caramel frosting until completely cool, about 2 hours. Let stand 1 hour at room temperature before continuing.
Using electric mixer, beat frosting just until color resembles milk chocolate and frosting is easily spreadable, about 1 minute (do not overbeat or frosting will become stiff and grainy). If necessary to correct graininess, set bowl with frosting over saucepan of simmering water for 10-second intervals, whisking just until frosting is smooth and spreadable.
Place 1 cake layer on platter, flat side up. Spread 1 cup frosting evenly over top. Top with second cake layer, flat side up, pressing slightly to adhere. Spread 1 cup frosting over top. Top with third cake layer, rounded side up, pressing slightly. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake, swirling decoratively. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover with cake dome and store at room temperature.

Welcome to the World of Trends

Today's society is about trends and following them. Fashion and technology are a few of them. Even what we eat is part of the popular distinction of fab or drab. Whether you choose to follow them is your decision. But a growing trend is growing in the baking industry. Small bakeries in particular. The crazier the creation is, the more squawking about this and the larger income the creator gets. Something that is different changes the humans perspective. It makes us curious. When we discover something that is, in our own minds, truly amazing, we are euphoric. If anything, are instant reaction to finding something we enjoy is to tell others. We want them to have the moment of pure happiness we had and get in return get something to brag about, how you "discovered" it. Of course, word gets out and now many people no about it. Your sense of pride starts to sink and you look for the next thing to squawk about. That is why trends are were they're at. They change. How about every second?

But this is a blog about baking. It's such a lifelong trend. Nothing can beat spending a day with your children making the perfect chocolate chip cookies or coming home from a bad day and making some blueberry muffins to make it better. Every generation passes on their discoveries to the next, hoping they will enjoy just as much as they did.