Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links

This week's edition is dedicated to all things cute and tiny and sweet.

Candiware. OMG, I am obsessed with this tiny and cute food jewelry maker! She sent me the necklace pictured at the top of the post. There are so many good things on her site; go shop! (CandiWare)

How to make perfect petits fours; the ultimate cute tiny cake. (Rose Bakes)

YOU GUYS. MINI FOOD VIDEOS. (BuzzFeed)

Mini chocolate cake. (Dessert for Two)

Mini pavlova! So sweet. (Natasha's Kitchen)

Mini donut rainbows. OMG YOU GUYS. (The First Year)

Red velvet cake minis. (Sprinkle Bakes)

Pie pops. Because they're mini and delicious and cute. I love Bakerella's version. (Bakerella)

S'mores mini cakes. So clever! (Delish)

Mini funfetti birthday cakes ommmmggggggg. (Best Friends for Frosting)

Funfetti mini cheesecakes. (Cooking Classy)

Mini rainbow cupcakes in candy filled shot glasses. You're welcome. (Hungry Happenings)

Via the same site: Mini truffle mice. Holiday themed but adorable any time. (Hungry Happenings)

Small tacos that are appropriate for dessert. What could be better? (Craftsy)

Book of the week: Tiny Food Party! Bite-Size Recipes for Miniature Meals. OMG, don't think about it, just buy this book, it is ALARMINGLY adorable. 

You've Got To Make Fantan Rolls!

You've just got to! They're so much easier to make than they look!

These buttery fantan rolls taste like parker house rolls, but have an even more fun shape. They pull apart, so buttering individual strips of your roll is fun and a highly delicious way to enjoy bread. 

I made these recently for the Craftsy blog and have to tell you, they made me feel the most enormous sense of accomplishment.

You too can feel this accomplishment - - 

Find the recipe here!

Baci Candy White Chocolate White Russian

Let's get white chocolate cruuuuuuunk! Yup, I just said that. 

Sometimes, you just need a sweet-as-sugar cocktail that packs a punch. This Baci white chocolate white Russian is just the drink for those times.

Lightly malted and totally sweet, melted white chocolate Baci candies are joined by a little coffee liqueur and vodka make this sweet cocktail totally intoxicating. In more ways than one! 

So go ahead, make yourself a l'il treat. You won't regret it. 

White Chocolate White Russian 

• 1 tablespoon malt powder
• 2 Baci White chocolate candies, finely chopped, plus 1 Baci White chocolate candy, for serving
• ¼ cup cream
• ¼ cup milk
• 1 ½ ounces coffee liqueur
• 3 ounces vodka
• ice

Optional garnishes:

cinnamon, or melted chocolate

Make the malted milk. Place the malt powder and 2 finely chopped Baci White chocolate candies in a medium heatproof bowl.

In a small saucepan, heat the cream and milk until the mixture begins to simmer. Remove from heat, and pour over the candy-and-malt powder mixture. Whisk until completely combined. Continue to whisk, every few minutes, until the mixture cools to room temperature. At this point, you can cover the mixture and put it in the refrigerator until ready to use.

When you’re ready to make the cocktails, combine the malted milk, coffee liqueur, vodka, and ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake to combine, and strain the mixture equally into two glasses. Drizzle with melted chocolate or shake a small amount of cinnamon on top. Serve with Baci White chocolate candy halves for an extra treat.

This recipe can be made with half and half instead of milk and cream, but the flavor will not be quite the same. Non-dairy milk and creamer can be substituted for the dairy called for in this recipe.

To create chocolate “stripes” in the glasses as shown, drizzle a little melted chocolate in your glasses before straining the liquid inside. 

CakeSpy's Recent Craftsy Posts

You guys! I am writing and baking and drawing ALL THE TIME. Here's some of my recent work for Craftsy. Enjoy!

FOOD:

DIY beignets. Let's do this thing.

Fantan rolls! I am obsessed with these things.

How to make a bitchin' chicken pot pie crust. Not the official title on Craftsy, but mine here.

Avocado buttercream. 

Carrot fries. Baked, not actually fried, totally delicious. 

Samosa dough that can be baked OR fried. Good stuff.

Ever tried sopaipillas? They are delicious and worth your time. 

BABKA! Fun to say, funner to eat. 

Flambe-free bananas foster. Easy and delicious! 

ART: 

How to combat artist's block. Helpful tips for creative types. 

Tips for drawing cartoon people. Fun! 

Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links (New Mexico Edition)

Ever heard of biscochitos? (CakeSpy archives)

How to make sopaipillas. Yum! (Craftsy)

The ultimate guide to New Mexico sweets. (CakeSpy archives)

Sopaipilla cheesecake bars. (Pillsbury)

In my opinion, the best donuts in Santa fe! (Whoo's Donuts)

A great resource for classic NM recipes. (NewMexico.org)

Chocolate chip pinon cookies. YUM! (This site)

If you're in Taos, you must visit this place. (CakeSpy archives)

Flan isn't from New Mexico, but it's awfully popular there. (New Mexico Nomad)

Blue corn pancakes. An only-in-New Mexico breakfast! (Turquoise Bear)

Marquesote: an interesting little cake. (CakeSpy archives)

Pumpkin empanadas. YUM! (Visit Albuquerque)

Natillas: a dessert you'll see in NM but not many other places. (Just a Pinch)

25 food things that only New Mexicans would understand. (Huffington Post)

Book of the week: Dulce: Desserts from New Mexico Kitchens. A great book that I have owned for years! Lots of interesting regional recipes and recipes from NM establishments.

Avocado Buttercream: It's a Thing

I'd like to remind you that avocado is a fruit, not a vegetable. 

And furthermore, avocado can be mashed with sugar and made into a naturally vegan buttercream.

It might sound strange at first, but in this application you can really taste the fruit's natural sweetness, and it works fantastically with chocolate cake.

Check out the recipe here! 

Mini Chocolate Pots de Creme

Last week it was 70 degrees. Yesterday it snowed. Basically what I am saying here is: I NEED CHOCOLATE. 

These fancied-up little pudding cups known as pots de crême (say it in your Frenchiest voice) are just the ticket. They're small but mighty, packing plenty of chocolate flavor in one tiny unit. A touch of espresso powder really adds a deep, dark element to the flavor, making it rich and indulgent-tasting. 

It's a good idea to make these. Happy Monday! 

Mini Chocolate Pots de Creme 

Makes 6

• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 bars (3.5 ounces each) 85% Cacao Extra Dark Chocolate
• 2 eggs plus one egg yolk
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• pinch salt
• 1/8 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional but suggested)
• 1 cup prepared whipped cream (more or less, to taste)
• 2-3 chopped chocolate candies such as Baci, for garnish
• 6-8 small, heatproof jars 

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Have at the ready your ramekins or jars, and a 9×13-inch baking pan (or a baking pan with walls that will accommodate all of your ramekins or jars). In a medium saucepan, bring the milk, vanilla extract, chocolate, and espresso powder to a low boil. Remove from heat and set to the side for the moment.

In a separate large bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolk with the sugar and salt until lightened in color and slightly thickened in texture.

Pour the milk mixture to the egg mixture slowly, whisking all the while as you pour.

Divide the chocolate,chocolate mixture evenly between your ramekins or jars. The jars don’t need to be filled; in fact, a little room at the top ensures that you have room to add whipped cream later.

Fill the baking pan with about 1 inch of water, and place the ramekins or jars in the pan. The water should reach about halfway up the chocolate mixture in each vessel.

Gently place the pan in the oven (take care not to slosh water into the chocolate!). Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the chocolate appears set on the edges but still has a slight jiggle in the center. If the tops form cracks at all, this is normal; they will sink once you remove them from the oven.

Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature. Cover in plastic, then refrigerate for several hours, so that the texture can “set” and the flavor can develop. Before serving, spoon a dollop on top of each of the pots de creme. Garnish with pieces of candy for a pretty finish.

Store leftovers covered with plastic in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links

UNICORNS! 

OMG, this unicorn birthday party is off the hook. (Hostess With the Mostess)

PINK hot chocolate! Unicorns would mos def drink this. (Herbivore Cucina) 

A blueberry pie with unicorns! Also, everything on this site. (Unicorns in the Kitchen)

Unicorn marshmallows. Pure magic! (Leanne Bakes) 

4 ingredient birthday cake croissants. Unicorns would eat these, and not just on their birthday. (Spoon University)

MAGICAL RAINBOW UNICORN CANDY BARK ALL CAPS NEEDED. (hello, Wonderful)

Mini rainbow cakes. Definitely unicorn approved. (Sprinkles and Sprouts) 

Rainbow pancakes. I'd eat these if I were a unicorn (and I sort of am). (Amanda's Cookin)

Unicorn cupcakes (plus a tutorial). (Tikkido)

on the same site, a nice packaging option for your goodies. (Tikkido)

Circus animal cookie trifles. I don't there's a circus animal unicorn but I like to pretend there is. (Bajillian Recipes)

Rainbow sprinkle cake. Yes please. (The Brook Cook)

Don't miss the chance to win a copy of my latest unicorn coloring book. (details here)

Even if you're not a unicorn, at least you can wear them on your feet. (Amazon)

Book of the week: Another Unicorn Coloring Book. Yup! Again. Until everyone buys it! Now, you can buy both of my coloring books as a bundle--you get a nice discount by buying them both at once! 

It's Here! + Giveaway: Another Unicorn Coloring Book

At long last, my friends, it's here. The Unicorn Coloring Book has a younger sibling: Another Unicorn Coloring Book. They're both available on Amazon (click the respective titles for the link) or in my Etsy shop. But here's the thing: I want you (and a friend!) to have a copy. Scan to the bottom of the post for the giveaway details! 

But first, let's take a sneak peek.

So, I need to tell you that I am super-mega proud of this book. It includes 24 brand new unicorn illustrations, including some of these: 

Each page spread has an illustration, and on the back side of each page, a quote. This is because you don't want any media to bleed through and ruin a second page; a quote keeps things interesting. Now, I have edited the designs so the quotes are in a lighter grey color; this way, they don't shine through on the flip side of the page. This is my favorite quote, btw: 

I really hope you'll enjoy coloring them as much as I loved drawing them.

WIN A COPY FOR YOU AND A FRIEND! 

OK, I know it's annoying to click over to a different platform for the giveaway, but I want to keep it easy to track, and these days Instagram seems to be the easiest way to do it. To enter, click over to Instagram (my user name is @cakespyblog) and tag a friend. I'll choose one winner at random, and send a copy to you AND the friend you tagged! 

Here's the giveaway post for easy clicking. 

The fine print: unfortunately, since international shipping is freaking expensive, I can only offer this giveaway to US/Canada residents at this time. I'll choose a winner at the end of this week (Friday afternoon). 

OMG: Pistachio Orange Éclairs

Oh, happy day. A week or two ago, I received a review copy of a new book by pastry chef Christophe Adams, entitled simply... Éclairs! This book is gorgeous. It's even more beautiful than a museum exhibition book. 

And happily, the publisher was willing to let me publish and excerpt from the book right here on CakeSpy. I chose one of the prettiest specimens in the book, pistachio orange eclairs. I am a true pistachio enthusiast, so these look like heaven to me. And while they are time consuming, it doesn't seem like they're impossible to make. I feel empowered! 

Anyhow, here's the recipe. If you feel so inclined, I think this book is well worth the purchase price; check it out here.

Pistachio Orange Éclairs

Makes 10 classic éclairs

Preparation time 

• Day 1: 1 hour
• Day 2: 2 hours

Equipment

• • Fine-mesh sieve
• • Food processor
• • Fine-tooth grater or citrus zester
• • Instant-read thermometer 
• • Immersion blender
• • Stand mixer
• • 2 metal spacers (1⁄16 inch/ 2 mm), optional
• • Fine-mesh sieve
• • Rolling pin
• • Large offset palette knife
• • Cardstock, about 1 inch (2.5 cm) larger than éclair
• • Wide, flat pastry brush
• • Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C)

Pistachio paste

• 1⁄2 cup shelled unsalted raw pistachio nuts (60 g) 125 mL
• 2 tsp grapeseed oil 10 mL

Pistachio cream

• 3⁄4 tsp unflavored gelatin powder 3 mL
• 21⁄2 tsp cold water 12 mL
• 1 cup + 1 tbsp whole milk 265 mL
• 1 orange 1
• 1 large egg yolk 1
• 3 tbsp granulated sugar (40 g) 45 mL
• 2 tbsp cornstarch 30 mL
• 1 tbsp pistachio paste (recipe above) 15 mL
• 1⁄3 cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes (80 g) 75 mL

Choux pastry

• 1⁄2 batch Choux Pastry (NOTE: Recipe below)

Pistachio-almond paste

• 41⁄2 oz almond paste, cut into cubes 130 g
• 2 tsp pistachio paste (recipe above) 10 mL
• Green food coloring
• Confectioners’ (icing) sugar

Sparkling green glaze

• 1 cup clear glaze (200 g) 250 mL
• Green food coloring powder
• 1 tbsp gold shimmer dust or luster dust 15 mL

Assembly and decoration

• Additional clear glaze
• Candied orange peel, cut into cubes (about 50)

1 PISTACHIO PASTE

1. Place pistachios on a baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, until slightly brown in the center. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.

2 & 3. Once cool, transfer pistachios to food processor fitted with the metal blade and process until ground to a fine powder. Reserve about 1 tbsp (15 mL) for decoration and set aside.

4 & 5. Add oil to remaining ground pistachios and process until smooth. Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

2 PISTACHIO CREAM

In a small bowl, stir together gelatin and cold water. Set aside.

1 & 2. In a saucepan, bring milk to a boil over medium heat, grating zest from orange into milk as it heats. Remove from heat and cover with plastic wrap. Let steep for 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a heatproof bowl, combine egg yolk, sugar and cornstarch.

4. Whisk until mixture is creamy and thick.

5. Pour steeped milk through fine-mesh sieve into egg mixture; discard zest.

6. Return to saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly.

7. Remove from heat. Add gelatin mixture, stirring until gelatin is dissolved.

8 & 9. Place 1 tbsp (15 mL) pistachio paste into a heatproof bowl. Pour hot custard over pistachio paste and whisk until completely incorporated.

10, 11 & 12. Let cool to 104°F (40°C). Using immersion blender, gradually incorporate butter, blending after each addition, until smooth and shiny. Transfer to a shallow dish. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, for up to 1 day.

4 PISTACHIO-ALMOND PASTE

1. In stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cubed almond paste until smooth. 

2 & 3. While mixing, add enough green food coloring to turn paste bright green. Add 2 tsp (10 mL) pistachio paste. Mix until smooth, adding more food coloring if necessary to achieve desired color.

4. Sprinkle a clean work surface with confectioners’ sugar. If using, place two spacers parallel to each other, about 8 inches (20 cm) apart. Place prepared paste between spacers and sprinkle with a little more confectioners’ sugar to keep it from sticking.

5. Using rolling pin, roll out paste to about 1⁄16 inch (2 mm) thick.

6. Remove spacers, if necessary, and carefully slide offset palette knife underneath sheet of paste to loosen it from work surface.

7. Make a template: Trace an oblong shape slightly smaller than your éclairs onto cardstock, then cut out. Place the template on top of rolled-out paste and cut out 10 oblongs.

5 SPARKLING GREEN GLAZE

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, heat clear glaze until smooth and no lumps remain. Add just enough food coloring to turn glaze deep green. Remove from heat.

2 & 3. Add gold shimmer dust. Using immersion blender, blend until smooth. Set aside at room temperature.

6 ASSEMBLY

Using a 1⁄4-inch (0.5 cm) round piping tip, pierce 3 evenly spaced holes in base of each éclair.

Place piping tip in pastry bag, if desired. Using a spatula, fill pastry bag with prepared pistachio cream. Fill each éclair, inserting a small quantity of cream in each hole. Using a small knife, remove excess cream. 

1. Warm a small amount of clear glaze in microwave just until fluid. Using pastry brush, coat one side of each piece of pistachio-almond paste.

2. Place a piece of paste, glazed side down, on each éclair, pressing down lightly on edges of paste to help it stick to the éclair.

3. Warm prepared sparking green glaze in microwave, if necessary to thin. Dip the top of each éclair in glaze.

4. Remove excess glaze by brushing lightly with pastry brush.

5. Decorate each éclair with a row of candied orange peel cubes bordered by a little reserved pistachio powder. Let stand until glaze is set.

Choux Pastry

Makes 11⁄2 lbS (750 g) pastry

Enough for 20 classic éclairs, 50 small éclairs or 120 miniature éclairs

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Equipment

• Large baking sheet(s), lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mat

• Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C)

Choux pastry

• 2⁄3 cup water 150 mL
• 2⁄3 cup whole milk 150 mL
• 13⁄4 tsp pure vanilla extract 8 mL 
• 11⁄2 tsp granulated sugar 7 mL
• 3⁄4 cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (160 g) 175 mL
• 3⁄4 tsp salt 3 mL
• 1 cup + 3 tbsp all-purpose flour (160 g) 295 mL
• 5 large eggs, beaten (approx.) 

OTHER THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW:

CHOUX PASTRY

1. In a medium saucepan, combine water, milk, vanilla, sugar, butter and salt.

2. Bring to a boil over medium heat.

3. Remove from heat. Add flour.

4. Using a wooden spoon, stir until flour is completely incorporated and dough pulls away from sides of pan, leaving sides of pan fairly clean.

5. Return pan to medium-low heat. Cook dough, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, for 5 minutes, until dough is smooth and forms a ball. (Heating the dough like this helps to “dry it out” so you end up with a uniform mixture that is not too moist.)

6. Transfer mixture to a bowl. Gradually add just enough egg to make a glossy, firm dough, while beating well with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula—this is essential for the pastry to turn out well.

7. The dough will be very smooth and hold its shape.

PIPING AND BAKING ÉCLAIRS

1. Using bowl scraper or spatula, transfer dough to a pastry bag fitted with a 3⁄4-inch (2 cm) star tip. On prepared baking sheet(s), pipe pastry dough into oblong shapes, spacing about 2 inches (5 cm) apart (they will expand as they bake): Classic éclairs: 51⁄4 by 1 inch (13 by 2.5 cm); Small éclairs: 21⁄2 by 3⁄4 inch (6 by 1.5 cm); Miniature éclairs: 2 by 1⁄2 inch (5 by 1 cm).

2. Bake one sheet at a time, in preheated oven until evenly puffed and golden brown and they feel hollow: Classic éclairs: 35 minutes; Small éclairs: 30 minutes; Miniature éclairs: 25 minutes. Do not open oven door while baking, or éclairs will collapse. At the end of baking, turn oven off, open oven door about 1⁄2 inch (1 cm) and let cool for 15 minutes (they will continue to brown slightly) to let steam escape and prevent éclairs from cracking. Transfer to racks to cool completely.

Courtesy of ÉCLAIRS by Christophe Adam © 2017 www.robertrose.ca Reprinted with publisher permission. Available where books are sold.

Image credit: Rina Nurra

Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links

Interesting recipes that I've been meaning to make.

Taiwanese pineapple shortcakes. (Rice n Flour)

Coconut pandan pancake rolls. Or, you know, if you want to be authentic, kue dadar gulung. I had something similar in Bali and can't wait to make these. (What to Cook Today) 

Rainbow fudge. I mean, yes. (Amanda's Cookin)

Quick and easy cream cheese Danish. (Country Cleaver)

Homemade chouquettes (French pastry sugar puffs). (Pinch and Swirl)

Homemade elderberry cough drops. How cool is that? (Tasty Ever After)

Champagne cake. Doesn't that sound buoyant? (Bourbon and Honey) 

No bake vegan Thin Mints. These look awesome. (View From Great Island)

Rainbow challah bread. This is brilliant. (What Jew Wanna Eat)

Homemade vanilla elderberry almond milk. Wow! (Garden in the Kitchen)

How to make creme brulee without a torch. (Craftsy)

Homemade plain scones. They look perfect! (Brooklyn Farm Girl)

Banana cream pie with a nilla wafer crust. OMG. (Kelly Lynn's Sweets and Treats)

How to make cannelés. I wanna. (Eat Live Travel Write)

Homemade beignets. Ok, I *did* make this one. (Craftsy)

Book of the week: Another Unicorn Coloring Book. I know, it was the book of the week last week! But you guys, I am so excited about my newest coloring book release!! BUY IT HERE. 

Experiencing Artist's (or a Creative) Block? Try these Tips.

It's an unfortunate fact: every creative type goes through artistic dry spells. 

Happily, they don't need to last forever. I recently wrote what I think is an A+ article for Craftsy.com, regarding some tried and true ways to overcome artist's block.

While it's written from the point of view of a visual artist, the tips are fairly universal and can be applied to any creative process.

Check it out and save these ideas for the next time you're feeling stuck! And if you have a tip for you you combat creative blocks, please leave it here or on the Craftsy post! 

Full article here. 

DIY Peanut Butter Morsels

Forget chocolate chips. Or don't forget about chocolate chips, but at least give them a new best friend: homemade peanut butter morsels. 

I freaking love those pb morsels you can buy in the store, but I'm not so keen on all of the hard to pronounce ingredients in them. I just kind of don't look. But when I learned that you could make your own, I was totally into it, because I knew that I could make a tasty product that I felt good about eating. 

These homemade peanut butter morsels figure prominently into one of my favorite desserts, like, ever: a coconut cream PEANUT BUTTER PIE. Seriously: peanut butter and coconut need to be together more often. It's just such a good flavor combo. 

But they're great in whatever recipe you deem worthy of a peanut butter upgrade. They work in cookies (a bit meltier than chocolate chips, but they'll still work) or as a garnish, or they work excellently as a simple snack. 

Homemade peanut butter morsels 

Makes MANY 

• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter (I used PB+Co's "Smooth Operator")
• 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1-2 tablespoons milk

Cream together the Smooth Operator peanut butter, sugar, and butter until nice and smooth. Add in the milk, a little at a time, until it has a thick consistency that can still be piped.

Put into a piping bag (or a diy one like I did by cutting the edge of a freezer bag). Pipe drops of the mixture on to parchment paper. I cut a pretty small opening in my bag, which meant that I piped them into little curlique teardrops. Cute! 

Freeze until firm, and then store in the freezer until you need to use them. This will yield quite a few peanut butter chips.

Do you love peanut butter morsels as much as I do?

Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links

Self-improvement, with art and baking.

FINALLY! The follow up to The Unicorn Coloring Book is available for pre-order! (Etsy)

How to make art a daily habit: science-backed tips. (Craftsy)

There's always room for cake in a balanced diet. This is a refreshing point of view from a top nutritionist! (Independent.ie)

Making things with your hands makes you smarter. (Core77)

A collection of quotes by Julia Child. I don't know about you, but just reading them makes me feel like a better person. (GoodReads)

How to develop a personal artistic style. (Craftsy) 

15 tips for making better pies. Good ones! (The Kitchn)

Ever thought about turning off the TV and baking cookie dough in different vessels to see how it comes out? Hey, me too! (CakeSpy archives) 

8 things to love about baking (that aren't eating). (Bustle)

5 things that will make you smarter about butter. Well, sounds good to me. (KSL)

9 baking skills you must master! (Craftsy)

Baking as meditation. It's totally yogic! (Yoga Journal)

Did you know that doodling improves your focus and memory? Take that, high school history teacher! (Wall Street Journal)

...and, "breaditation" classes are a thing. How great is that? (Vice)

Scientific proof that baking can make you feel better when you're depressed. (Smithsonian)

Book of the week: Another Unicorn Coloring Book! My new coloring book is available for pre-order, and I have to say, it's pretty great. It's the companion to The Unicorn Coloring Book, which is available on Amazon and in my etsy shop. For now, the new one is only available for pre-order, but it will be on amazon too, soon! 

Let's Turn Off the TV and Make Some Cookies

So, this is what happens when I turn off the TV and get baking. Wait, I can explain.

Not so long ago, Pillsbury reached out to me to ask if I'd like to take part in this cool promotion they're working on. Basically, the idea was that they wanted bloggers to turn off the tech (TV, cell phone, etc) for a few hours and get baking with family. 

Well, I couldn't be more delighted! I think that it's very easy to get caught up in day to day stuff and become a slave to the "ding" of your various tech toys. So it was nice to have a break to bake with my boo and kick it with my two pugs.

In doing my research, I considered many different projects I could take on with the generous package of goodies (and a cool camera) that Pillsbury sent to me. 

But ultimately, since we were keeping it simple by turning off the TV, I decided to keep the recipe simple, too, and I followed my pet unicorn's sage advice: MAKE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES! What can I say, I do what my unicorn tells me to do. It's not a bad life philosophy. 

Pillsbury had sent me their "Purely Simple" cookie mix, which is made with easy to pronounce ingredients (yay!). 

We mixed it up per the package instructions. OK, one change: I added in some extra salt, because I LOVE SALT.

You tell me: is there a finer thing than cookie dough in this world?

And then, since I can't resist a little experimentation, we decided to see how the cookies might turn out when baked in various vessels.

So we divided the dough and baked a few as a "control batch" per the box instructions: classic spoonfuls on a lined baking sheet. How'd they come out?

But then with the rest of the dough, with no alteration other than the vessel, we tried baking it a few different baking pans. Curious about how the same cookie recipe came out in different pans? Here ya go!  

One Dough, Four Different (Delicious) Cookie Outcomes

The basic dough was un-altered, and the oven temperature was kept the same (375 degrees F) as suggested on the packaging. *all of these pans were greased to prevent sticking

Ramekin: 

We put about 2 cookies' worth of dough into a small (1/2 cup) ramekin and baked it up. It took a little bit longer than the regular cookies (which were about 8 minutes at 375 degrees F). It came out puffy but slightly deflated in the center after a few minutes. In spite of the deflation, it was amazing. It had an almost (but not quite) gooey center and was perfect for this soft cookie lover! 

Mini Donut Pan:

Dough was pressed into some of the vessels of a mini donut pan and then baked. This dough baked in less time than the regular cookies (about 5 minutes), and the cookie dough puffed over the donut shape, but I used my (clean) fingers to shoo it away.

After about five minutes out of the oven we inverted them, and oh me oh my I need to tell you that they were DARLING. For crispy cookie lovers, this is a great option, as you have a crispy crust on virtually all sides. 

Mini Muffin Pan: 

Mini is marvelous, so we decided to try cookie dough in a mini muffin pan, too. The portions were basically the same as the regular cookies, but (probably because of the height difference) they took 1-2 minutes longer to bake. You really had to wait 5 minutes before taking them out of the pan, and had to loosen the edges first, but they proved a delight. Once again, soft in the middle, ideal for me (the soft cookie lover). BTW, Porkchop the pug was getting very interested in the process by this point! 

Square Brownie Pan:

So, we have this square brownie pan that I despise because I don't like crispy edges but my darling one loves. So we tried out some cookie dough in it. The portion was about 1 1/2 cookies' worth per brownie square. They baked in about the same amount of time as the regular cookies (8 minutes). They puffed up, but then deflated slightly after baking. Not a bad thing, because (not pictured) I filled it with peanut butter and it was amazing and made me forget all about the crispy edges. 

So, to sum things up? 

This is a good cookie mix, and it's delicious. However, to tailor your cookie experience to be exactly what you'd like (crispy, gooey, alarmingly adorable) consider using an alternate pan to make the cookies really perfect! 

Stay updated with Pillsbury on their various channels: 

Online: PillsburyBaking.com

Facebook: Facebook.com/PillsburyBaking

Pinterest: Pinterest.com/PillsburyBaking

Instagram: @PillsburyBaking 

Blogging can be a pretty online-heavy job, so it was nice to have the chance to get back to the pure joy of baking. Thanks, Pillsbury, for the awesome opportunity! 

Can You Make Regular Doughnuts from Beignet Dough?

Can you make regular doughnuts from beignet dough? Yes. The answer is yes. And they're delicious. 

But since that sentence is probably too short for the makings of a good blog post, allow me to expand.

Recently, I was making beignets for an upcoming post on Craftsy. I started with a King Arthur Flour recipe. I made a few edits but mainly kept the soul of the recipe alive. The beignets turned out great.

But the recipe yielded about 30, and I didn't need that many, nor could I consume that many on the same day, and you know how it is: doughnuts really are best the same day made. So I saved some of the dough, and over the next few days, I tried frying some of it up in a more traditional doughnut form. 

Well, guess what? They turned out great. 

Beignet dough is kind of interesting: a little more dense than a typical yeast doughnut dough, in my opinion. Since they're small little pillows, you don't necessarily notice this right away. When it came to making more traditionally shaped doughnuts, though, you really notice the different texture. For me, a lover of cake doughnuts WAY WAY WAY over yeast doughnuts any day, this was a great thing.

In my opinion, doughnuts made from beignet dough have the texture of a cake doughnut, but the flavor of a yeast doughnut. Basically, the best of both worlds. A more complex flavor, but an indulgent "heft" and great texture. 

Flavor-wise, these doughnuts were mild: lightly sweet, vanilla. I amped them up a little bit by topping them with a simple confectioners' sugar glaze (sorry, I don't even measure, I just pour a bunch of confectioners' sugar in a bowl then add milk or cream a little at a time and stir until it's glaze-like in consistency), which I made fancy with a touch of vanilla extract, a pinch of salt, and...most importantly, cocoa nibs from French Broad Chocolates in Asheville.

My sweetheart asked what I would like to call my creation, and I said with absolutely no hesitation, "NIBBY NUTS!". 

So there you go. If you wanna, you can make this recipe and use the dough to make beignets, or you can cut them with a doughnut cutter, fry 'em up, top them with glaze and nibs, and have some nibby nuts of your own with which to fill your mouth.

Nibby Nuts (doughnuts made using beignet dough) 

Printable version here

Dough

• 1/2 cup lukewarm water
• 1/2 cup lukewarm milk
• 2 tablespoons butter 
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 4 cups all purpose flour 

Directions

In a saucepan, combine the water, milk, and butter. Heat on low until the butter melts; remove from heat. Once it is cooled to about 105 degrees F, add the yeast, and let it bubble a bit before moving on.

Add the rest of the ingredients (all of 'em) and mix the dough until combined with a wooden spoon. Ditch the spoon and knead by hand until smooth, 3-4 minutes. 

Place the dough in an oiled bowl and let it rise for about 1 hour, or until puffy and bigger (maybe not doubled in size, but approaching it).

Deflate the dough, then turn onto a work surface (I didn't need to flour mine, but you might; have some flour on hand just in case). Roll into a large rectangle, about 14x10 inches. Now, if you're making doughnuts I guess you wouldn't have to worry about this particular size, but since I made the recipe intending to make beignets, I'm leaving this in. 

Now, decide if you want to make doughnuts or beignets. For beignets, cut the dough into 2-inch squares. For doughnuts, cut out as many as you can using a doughnut cutter. Save those holes too! 

Place the dough portions on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and let proof, covered with plastic, for about 30 minutes. 

Fill a frying pan (10 or 12 inches) with 3/4 inch of oil -- I used olive oil, but that was kind of pricey, so you might want to try canola or vegetable oil. Whatevs. Heat that business up to 350-360 degrees F. 

Place a few dough portions in the hot oil at a time; fry for about 1 minute on the first side, or until golden. Flip using tongs, and fry to match the second side with the first. Remove, and place on paper towels to blot excess oil. 

When slightly cooled, dip in a confectioners' sugar glaze with cocoa nibs. (see my description of how I made it in the blog post).

Once more for good measure: NIBBY NUTS! Enjoy! 

Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links

All about WC (White Chocolate).

Cranberry white chocolate pie (pictured top). (Serious Eats)

Easy white chocolate mousse. (My Baking Addiction)

Polar bear cupcakes. I can't even. (Hungry Happenings)

Soft and chewy white chocolate cream cheese cookies. JEEBUS. (Averie Cooks)

White chocolate bliss bars. DANG. (Cookies for England)

White hot chocolate with bourbon barrel stout marshmallows. Whoa. (Beer Girl Cooks)

How to melt white chocolate. Useful! (Craftsy) 

White chocolate cream pie. YASSSS! (Kitchen Magpie)

Pumpkin pie egg rolls with white chocolate whipped cream. GIMME . (Show Me The Yummy)

White chocolate macadamia nut pancakes. A favorite cookie combo in pancake form! (Minimalist Baker)

Pink white chocolate fudge. It is so HAPPY. (Peas and Peonies)

How to make white chocolate curls. (Taste of the South Magazine)

White chocolate amaretto cupcakes. I'm in, you? (Cupcake Project)

White chocolate brownies. WOW!! (Just So Tasty)

White chocolate caramel mousse brownie cake. Don't try saying that five times fast! Just eat it instead! (Inside BruCrew Life)

Discovery of the week: Milk House Chocolates by Thorncrest Farm. This farm in Connecticut makes chocolates with milk from their own cows. It is exquisite. If you're not in Connecticut (I don't blame you, it's cold there right now), lucky you: you can buy their chocolate and have it shipped. Here's their website.

5 Things You Should Never Put in Pancakes (and a Few Things You Should)

So, Krusteaz sent me a bunch of pancake, waffle, and coffee cake mix a few weeks ago as part of their Breakfast Month blogger program. The idea behind the program is that bloggers should come up with creative ideas for how to enjoy breakfast for dinner. 

I like pancakes. I also like experimenting. So I decided that I would try to see if various casual afternoon or evening foods would taste good in pancake form. 

So, I fired up a griddle and got to work trying a few different morsels in pancake form. 

I'll be honest: while many of these foodstuffs taste great as components of dinner or PM snacks, many of them did not translate well in pancake form. Nonetheless, it was tons of fun. 

How I did it

I mixed up a batch of Krusteaz pancake mix according to the package instructions ("just add water"!), then cooked the pancakes one at a time. In general, I poured the batter then put the toppings on the uncooked side, so that it would stick and then cook when flipped. I did clean out the pan in-between so that residual flavors wouldn't affect the next pancake. 

As a side note, I like this pancake mix. It yields a good-tasting, fluffy-textured pancake, so it was a great base for this experiment. 

So, how did the various mix-ins stack up? See for yourself: 

#1: Popcorn 

Popcorn is delicious. Pancakes are delicious. Popcorn tastes good with butter. Pancakes taste good with butter. A match made in heaven, right? Well, not necessarily. As it turns out, popcorn makes pancakes decidedly weird. It loses its crispiness when cooked in a pancake, so it's sort of like eating a buttery-salty pancake studded with packing peanuts. 

Verdict: Never Put This In Pancakes.

#2: Ham and cheese

Ham and cheese is a classic combo that you can enjoy from morning til night. It works equally well in omelettes and sandwiches. I had high hopes! Well, my hopes were in fact realized, because the cheese got all melty and the ham was the perfect rich and salty complement to the pancake dough. As a bonus, I truly enjoyed referring to these as "hamcakes". GOOD THING. Great with potato chips. Which leads nicely into the next experiment (see below). 

Verdict: Go Ahead and Put This In Pancakes.

#3: Potato Chips 

Salty and sweet is such a great combo. What could be a more efficient way to deliver salty to the sweetness of pancakes than by adding potato chips? I grabbed a handful and put 'em in the griddle then poured some batter on top. Unfortunately I probably should have crushed the chips, because the batter had a hard way "getting around" the curves of the chips. The flavor was actually OK, but the chips in the center got a little soggy. It seems like this idea could have potential if you slightly crushed the chips and chose wisely with your chip flavor. Like, cool ranch doritos? Maybe not. 

Verdict: Maybe Put This in Pancakes, But Proceed With Caution. 

#4: Lettuce

If you want to be a lean, green machine, do me a favor and eat a salad rather than eating lettuce embedded in a pancake. Turns out, lettuce gets deeply gross and wilty when put in a hot skillet and griddled with pancake batter. I don't really think there's any instance in which this would taste great. Maybe sauteed kale or collard greens, but not lettuce. 

Verdict: Never Put This In Pancakes.

#5: Chicken Salad

If you're anything like me, the very phrase "chicken salad pancakes" makes you want to vomit a little in your mouth. Well, turns out our instincts are correct! Chicken salad is very disgusting when cooked in a pancake. The mayonnaise turns all liquid-like and makes the center gooey; the chicken starts to taste sort of, well, fishy when heated. Don't do this. 

Verdict: Never Put This In Pancakes. 

#6: Salad Dressing

My sweetheart had made a beautiful homemade mustard vinaigrette, and you know what I did with it? I put it in pancakes. Interestingly, it wasn't totally gross, but then again "intriguing" isn't exactly the same thing as "delicious". I think that this could have worked if added to the ham and cheese version or maybe as a topping for a savory pancake, but as an add-in, not so much.

Verdict: Never Put This In Pancakes. 

#7: Limoncello Chocolate

I used to develop recipes for Colavita and Perugina, and I still happen to have a bunch of product on hand. As such, I decided to try out some of the Limoncello chocolate in one of my pancakes. I pressed a square into the top of the batter once poured, then let it cook as the pancake was flipped. Unfortunately, a square of this flavored chocolate didn't do much for the pancake. It melted weirdly, and the lemon-chocolate flavor wasn't too hot with the pancake batter. I think that this concept could work, but not with this type of chocolate. I think that Perugina chocolate is great, btw, but a milk or white chocolate (meltier!) would have worked better. 

Verdict: Put Other Chocolate In Pancakes, But Never Use This One. 

I'd like to thank Krusteaz for sending me all of the awesome stuff (including a frying pan from T-fal) and for letting me have fun with their mix. 

Would you eat any of these crazy pancakes?

CakeSpy's Recent Craftsy Posts

ART

How to develop a personal drawing style. Personal tips!

What's your secret artistic alter ego? 

FOOD

Cacio e pepe. It's so simple but so good. 

A roundup of great bake-sale recipes. You're welcome!

What is an egg wash? And why are they useful? 

Baking skills to master in 2017. Not too late to make a resolution! 

Bread baking problems...solved! 

How to make homemade lavash. Yum. 

7 ideas for cooking root vegetables. Yum.

Absolutely crave-worthy bread sticks. Just 4 ingredients!

PHILADELPHIA BUTTER CAKE YES ALL CAPS NEEDED.

Raspberry Cheesecake in a Chocolate Crust

Treat your valentine to something divine.

This cheesecake may look pretty in pink, but it's truly a work of pure decadence. Made with homemade homemade raspberry sauce mixed right in the batter, it is baked to perfection atop a crave-worthy chocolate crust, then topped with more sauce and dusted prettily with confectioners’ sugar.

Amazing seems like too small a word for this beautiful combination of whipped cream cheese, tart berries, and rich dark chocolate. Love is in the air! 

Raspberry Cheesecake in a Chocolate Crust

• Yield: one 9-inch cheesecake (8 servings) - printable version here
• Prep time: 30 minutes
• Total time: 75 minutes, plus cooling time

For the crust

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup melted butter
• 1 bar (3.5 ounces) 85% Cacao Extra Dark chocolate, melted and slightly cooled

For the raspberry topping and filling

• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen raspberries, thawed and crushed
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

For the cheesecake filling

• 3 packages (8 ounces each) regular (full-fat) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup melted butter
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ cup completed raspberry topping/filling
• red food coloring (optional)
• confectioners’ sugar, for dusting the finished cake

Procedure

1. Prepare to bake. Position a rack in the middle position of your oven, and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Generously grease the bottom and about 1 inch up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. If you have any doubt at all about how securely your springform pan seals, line the bottom of the pan with foil to prevent seepage.
2. Make the crust. In a large bowl, combine all of the crust ingredients, and stir until combined. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared springform pan, patting it firmly to pack it in.
3. Bake the crust for 5-7 minutes, or until the top of the crust has a matte appearance (looking out for golden edges is difficult given the dark hue that the chocolate imparts). Remove from the oven, and set aside to cool. Do not turn off the oven, but reduce the heat to 375 degrees F.
4. Prepare the raspberry topping and filling. Combine all of the ingredients in a large, heavy bottomed saucepan. Apply medium heat, and stir the mixture frequently until it begins to bubble and thicken. Remove from heat and set to the side. Once cooled, reserve ¼ cup of the mixture to add to your cheesecake, but place the rest of the mixture in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve the cake.
5. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until really smooth, about 5 minutes on medium-high speed.
6. Add the sugar, flour, and salt, and mix on medium speed until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula.
7. Add the butter and the two eggs, and mix on low speed until completely incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula.
8. Finally, stir in the vanilla extract and ¼ cup of the raspberry mixture (reserving the rest to top the cake). Stir only until evenly distributed. The raspberry mixture will impart a pretty rose color on the cake. If desired, you can augment the color with a few drops of red food coloring, though this is not necessary.
9. Pause for a moment, and generously grease the sides of the springform pan (with the baked crust inside). Pour the cheesecake mixture in the springform pan, spreading it to make sure it evenly fills out the pan.
10. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the sides appear golden and the middle has just the tiniest jiggle to it. Remove from the oven and transfer the entire pan to a wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the edges to loosen the sides of the cake. Let the cake cool to room temperature, and then transfer to the refrigerator to cool for a minimum of 3 hours before serving. Do not place the cake in the refrigerator before the cheesecake cools to room temperature or it can form condensation on the top.
11. When ready to serve, use the remaining raspberry mixture to top the cheesecake, and dust with confectioners’ sugar if desired.

Recipe notes:

• Make-ahead tip: the crust and the raspberry sauce can be prepared a day in advance. Store, covered, in the refrigerator until ready to use.
• Using low-fat cream cheese is not suggested in this recipe.
• Store leftovers, well wrapped, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.