Coconut Cream Pie (almost!)

So, attempt #2 was a taste success. I just have a little work to do on the texture. But never fear! I'll get there, and I'll share the recipe with you. There are a lot of elements, BUT they all work together so well, I really think it's worth the effort. Even people who don't generally like coconut seem to like this pie, so that's something, right?!

I will give you this one little hint: there's a surprise at the bottom.

Next up: A couple of things. I might cobble together a couple of recipes to make cherry chocolate chip cookies. And I think I'm going to try these. And I might make another attempt at Coconut Cream Pie. All depends on how much time I have.

Soft Gingersnap Cookies with White Chocolate Chunks

I have some really vague memories from childhood of perfect ginger cookies. Or molasses cookies. Or ginger snaps. I don't remember what they were called. I just remember two different but perfect ginger-y molasses-y cookies. One was so thin and crisp we would put them in the palm of our hands and push down with one finger to see how many pieces it would break into. The other was a little crisp and sugary on the outside, but perfectly soft and chewy on the inside. I have had a difficult time finding a recipe that matched the second (and frankly, more important to me) of these. I think partially because I'm a victim of my altitude. This recipe comes very close. The people responsible for it live in Salt Lake, so I think part of the magic is that they've already done the altitude work for me (you). The cookies didn't deflate and flatten like a lot of cookie recipes tend to do here. So, that was a happy surprise.


The recipe could not be easier. I whipped them up in less than half an hour. Add in cooking time for 3 batches--total time was just over an hour. The texture is perfect. A little crisp with the sugar on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside. The taste...is good. For me, they could use more ginger. I like my ginger cookies to have a little kick. Just a little one. But the white chocolate chunks just don't do it for me. They add a flavor that I don't even know how to describe, but for my taste, it doesn't work with ginger. And...confession...I figured that would be the case with these, which was why I made them...so I WOULDN'T eat them. But my kids will! They love them.


TGIP Rating--Soft Gingersnap Cookies with White Chocolate Chunks--KEEPER. If I wanted to make a batch that I would eat, I'd just leave the white chocolate out. And add a bit more ginger. And maybe some black pepper.

Next up: Remember when I made my first attempt at Coconut Cream Pie? I'm determined to come up with a delicious recipe for this, so I'll be making another attempt. With a surprise ingredient!

Burnt Sugar Bundt Cake

Before we go any further, I neglected some important shout-outs in my 2011 Year in Review post:

• My friend Jonny McBride for insisting that we make this cake together. It was a brilliant evening.
• Teresa Sanderson, Melody Downey, and Alton Brown for each contributing some aspect of what ultimately became this cake.
• My niece Amber for actually believing that I could make her wedding cake. I didn't end up doing it because we both realized it would be a terrible idea. But having somebody believe in my baking skills that much is...amazing.
  

Now, on to the business at hand...You are going to be surprised when I tell you...I didn't really love this recipe. I liked the cake itself. I added a little rum and made some adjustments for high altitude (which, apparently didn't really work all that well):


And I liked the burnt sugar liquid that's used in the cake and the frosting (although, I think maybe I didn't get mine quite dark/burnt enough):


And the caramel shard topping was certainly beautiful (although, since I didn't get the liquid dark enough, I accidentally compensated by TRULY burning the caramel for the shards). Still pretty:


But the frosting. It was just too sweet. As it was, I messed up the texture by beating it in the mixer instead of pulsing it in the food processor (I was distracted because I was making this at the same time):


So, it was WAYY too liquidy:


And if I had added less powdered sugar and made it less sweet, it would have been nothing more than a glaze. Which we all kind of decided is exactly what this cake should have. The cake itself is so flavorful, and has such a lovely, rich texture, I honestly don't think it needs a heavy frosting on top. In fact, it might not even need the glaze. Maybe just a dusting of powdered sugar.


TGIP Rating--Burnt Sugar Bundt Cake--KEEPER, with alterations. I need to go back to the drawing board on the high altitude adjustments, for one thing. And the frosting situation needs to be changed. Then it will be perfect.

Next up: I have to keep my kids in cookies for bag lunches. And I'm sick of buying crappy cookies filled with shortening or whatever horrifying thing. So, I'm going to give these a try.

2011 Year in Review

That year went past fast! I feel like 2011 was less impressive in the baking department than I wanted it to be. Maybe if I review I can prove myself wrong. Here are some things I baked (and liked):

Pies/Tarts:

• Sweet Potato Pie
• Rhubarb Pie
• Orange Creamsicle Tart

Cakes:

• Carrot Cake
• Devil's Food Cake with Coffee Buttercream
• Pumpkin Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting and Candied Hazelnuts

Cookies/Bars:

• Salt-n-Pepper Sandwich Cookies
• Sweet & Salty Brownies

Bread:

• Mostly Whole Wheat Sourdough
• Pain au Levain
• English Muffins

Other (it was the year of the whoopie pie):

• Red Velvet Whoopie Pies
• Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
• Chocolate Whoopie Pies

Most epic failure:

• Hot Cross Buns

Shout-outs/thanks for sharing/inspiring me:

• The BAKED boys--always and forever. Is it too much to say that my life would be empty without you?!
  
• All of my amazing friends who oooh and aaah over even the most minor of my baking successes. And challenge me to try things I haven't considered. Now, please come over more often and eat all of these extra baked goods.

Okay, so not as pathetic of a year as I thought it was. But still, lots to get on to in 2012. Namely:

• Bread. No, really this year. I am armed with a book I trust. I will learn.
  
• Figure out that Sarno's Italian Rum Cake I've been meaning to work on for YEARS. I have all the pieces (I think), I need to put them together. In time for my birthday. I'll make my own cake this year.

First up: Burnt Sugar Bundt Cake. Meant to do it before 2011 ended, but illness prevented me from even thinking about eating, let alone baking. This Sunday is the day.

December 2011--The Lost Month

Please don't ask me what I did this month. I might tell you. And then you'll be sorry. I know there was a lot of driving, a little Disneyland, a wedding, a little Christmas, and lot of illness. Plus a bunch more stuff. Even with all of that I baked (but obviously didn't diligently blog about or photograph):

almost 300 Chocolate Whoopie Pies

250 Candy Cookies

2 loaves of Whole Wheat Bread

2 Cinnamon Chocolate Mousse Pies

1 Chocolate-Malt Stump de Noël

Still to bake before this wild month ends:

challah (for egg nog french toast, naturally)

Burnt Sugar Bundt Cake

Hopefully the addition of these last two projects will bring health to our house in time for the new year.

TGIP Rating--Chocolate Whoopie Pies--which I didn't even blog about in detail--KEEPER. They turn out more perfectly when baked at sea level than they do at my altitude. Which means I need to make some alterations. Which I will. Because they are super delicious. I prefer them mini-sized. Regular size is kind of like a giant, super-sweet hamburger. Which sounds good in theory, but in reality is JUST TOO MUCH.

Next up: Burnt Sugar Bundt Cake. There's nothing not good about this recipe. I can't wait to try it.

P.S. Santa brought me this for Christmas. I was a better girl than I even realized this year! Double the ovens means double the baking. Or the same amount of baking in half the time. I'm thinking, if nothing else, I can bake a pie and a loaf of bread at the same time. Which is good for everyone.

Cream Puffs

I don't know how it is that I haven't blogged about these yet. I guess I haven't made them in a few years. But they are one of my favorites from childhood. And in spite of the fact that they are SUPER EASY to make, they are also impressive and people think you are magical when you make them. The Pie Queen used to make big ones filled with pudding. I like to make little ones. Mostly because they remind me of this...


I've always made them with chocolate filling (see below), but decided to try a couple of different things this time, namely Raspberry Whipped Cream and Caramel Whipped Cream. And they were incredibly delicious. The caramel is probably my new favorite substance on planet earth. I am thinking of more and more things I can put it on for eating. It's not particularly easy to make. I'll give you this hint: the caramel will seize up when you pour the cream in. It just will. But put the whole thing back on the burner and keep stirring and the caramel will dissolve into the hot cream and you will be so happy you were patient about it.

Here's the recipe:


Cream Puffs *click here for printable version*
(yield approx. 10 large or 40 small)

½ c. butter
1 c. water
⅛ tsp. salt
1 c. flour
4 eggs

In medium saucepan combine butter, water, and salt. Bring to boiling. Add flour all at once, stirring vigorously. Cook and stir until mixture forms a ball that doesn’t separate.


Remove from heat. Cool 10 minutes. (I put mine in the stand mixer with the whisk attachment at this point, but you can beat with a wooden spoon, the old-fashioned way if you want) Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until smooth. Drop batter by heaping tablespoons 3 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees until golden brown (30-35 minutes). Cool and split to remove uncooked inside. Then fill and replace top.

Note: For mini puffs, drop batter by heaping teaspoons and bake for 20-22 minutes until golden brown.


Do not split when cool. Make filling and fill pastry bag with medium-hole tip. Insert tip of bag into bottom of puff and fill.


Chocolate Filling:

Whip 4 T sugar and 5 T unsweetened cocoa (or more, to taste) into 1 quart of heavy whipping cream until stiff.


I stabilize my cream when it's part of a dessert that's going to be sitting in the fridge for a while. Use 2 tsp. of powdered milk per 1 cup of cream, and just whip it in when you are whipping the cream.

Oh, and P.S. the Chocolate Filling recipe makes A LOT. Probably as much as you would need to fill 10 of the large-size puffs, but too much for 40 small. Adjust as you see fit. And the recipes for raspberry and caramel each only fill about 20 small puffs. You might want to quadruple the caramel recipe just because you will want to eat it by the spoonful. Or stick your head right in the mixing bowl and lick your way out. Was that TMI?

TGIP Rating--Cream Puffs--KEEPER. I've kept it since childhood and will always come back to it as a comfort dessert. Probably more often now that I've discovered the Caramel Whipped Cream.

Next up: I'm baking treats for my niece's wedding reception in mid-December. I told her I'd make sample batches for her and her fiancée to try. So, that's going to mean small batches of Candy Cookies and Chocolate Whoopie Pies (I'm making miniatures). Both recipes by BAKED. Of course.

Thanksgiving Piespiration

"Thanksgiving is one percent perspiration, ninety-nine percent piespiration." -spiker

I'm not making anything new this year. I'm making these, by request:

(I know, NOT a pie. But we decided it is, in fact, socially acceptable to have cake at one's Thanksgiving feast.)



More piespiration for you (click on pictures to go to posts that contain recipes):









Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

P.S. Fun reading. Literal food for thought.