TWD Rewind: Tall and Creamy Cheesecake

Another TWD rewind! We were having dinner with the same people I made the other cheesecake for, and they had loved it so much, I decided to make another one. We are in Brazil right now, and they don't have graham crackers here (what do kindergardeners eat? :D ), so we substituted vanilla cookies for the crust. I didn't taste this cake, because we gave it as a present, so I hope everything worked. I am so proud of myself, because this cheesecake didn't crack! :D

If you want the recipe, BUY THE BOOK. Okay? ;D

TWD Rewind: Bill's Big Carrot Cake

It's official: I've joined Tuesdays With Dorie! The few recipes I've tried from the book have been amazing; the fluffiest batters I've ever seen! I'm really excited to be able to say "I've made every recipe in this book". However, I am really far behind on the recipes, so I've got to get started. I made this cake a couple of weeks ago, when I didn't even know TWD existed. I took a picture intending to post it on here with the recipe, but now that I'm making every recipe, I'm going to do what lots of other TWD bakers do, which is tell you that if you want to make this recipe (you should), GO BUY THE BOOK! Is that clear? Go buy it! :D 

Anyways, about the cake. I took this cake to a dinner where four people ate from it, one of which barely ate because he is diabetic. Between them, almost half was gone at the end of one meal. That says a lot about it, don't you think? This batter is pretty easy if you're using a stand mixer. The only thing time-consuming is grating the carrots like I did, but if you're not too lazy to take out the food processor (me! I'm lazy!), that step is quick, too. The cream cheese frosting is great, too. Good luck!

P.S. 

If you don't know what Tuesdays With Dorie is, it's a group of food bloggers who make the same recipe every week from Baking From My Home To Yours by Dorie Greenspan. 

Buttery Cut-Out Cookies

We are in Brazil on vacation, because my mom's entire family is here. We come every year, so we've made friends and though we stay at my grandma's house, we see them every time we come. Today I went to a friend's house because she had said that she had a great cookie recipe she wanted to teach me to make, because I had taught her to make cupcakes when she had visited me. This recipe is really good. We cut out the cookies really thick, but you can cut them however thin or thick you want, just adjust the cooking time. You can decorate them however you like, but we left ours plain and they were great anyways. This dough is different from most cut-out cookies, too, because it only rests for 20 minutes outside of the fridge, instead of 2 hours inside the fridge. It's an easy recipe if you have a mixer (this friend doesn't, so we did it by hand, but it should work with a stand mixer using the paddle attachment), and very tasty.

Buttery Cut-Out Cookies (from some magazine in Portuguese I don't know the name of)

Ingredients:

8 oz. margarine, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract (optional)

1 pinch salt

5 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

tiny bit of milk (about 2 tablespoons? my friend says "two fingers" :D )

Instructions:

Beat margarine, sugar, egg, egg yolk, vanilla and salt until fluffy. 

Add the flour and beat until dough comes together. Mix baking powder with the milk (it will puff up) and beat that into the dough until you can no longer see the white mixture.

Let rest at room temperature for 20 minutes (it will not rise).

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Roll out dough to desired thickness, working with small amounts. As you roll, you will see that cracks are going to appear all over. This is fine; just press the dough together and keep rolling. Cut with whatever cookie cutters you want and place on greased and floured cookie sheets (it doesn't matter if small and large shapes are on the same cookie sheet; they will be done at the same time). 

Bake for about 2o minutes. This is an estimate, but it will depend on the thickness of your dough (we rolled ours really thick and it took about 30 minutes). Check on the cookies frequently. You can let them brown as little or as much as you want. 

Yields: about 70 small cookies (more or less depending on the size of your cookie cutter).

     All cut out and ready for the oven

Baking. Looking yummy!

A small plate of cookies I brought home. Yum!!!!!

            Making pictures with cookies! :D

Enjoy!

update

I'm on vacation right now, which is why I haven't been posting, but I just wanted to let you all know that I've joined Daring Bakers! It looks like so much fun. See ya!

Southern Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

A while ago, I got an order for a red velvet cake. So the day before the cake was being delivered, I made it. Let's just say everything that could go wrong, went wrong. The buttermilk powder wouldn't break up. I ran out of flower in the middle of baking. An egg fell on the floor. But, in the end, it turned out well. I made the basic cream cheese frosting that was with the recipe for the cake. That turned out well, too. If you are crumbling the pieces of cake left over from leveling the layers and putting them on the sides like I did, you don't have to worry about the frosting being smooth, because the crumbs will cover it up.

Southern Red Velvet Cake (www.foodnetwork.com)

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups ap flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. fine salt

1 tsp. cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature

2 large eggs, at room temperature

2 tablespoons red food coloring (1 ounce)

1 tsp. white distilled vinegar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

cream cheese frosting, recipe follows

crushed pecans, for garnish (or you can use cake crumbs like I did)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil and flour 3 (9 by 1 1/2-inch round) cake pans. (I used two 9 by 3? round cake pans and it worked fine.)

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In another large bowl, whisk together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla.

Using a stand mixer, mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined and a smooth batter is formed.

Divide the cake batter evenly among the prepared cake pans. Place the pans in the oven evenly spaced apart. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through the cooking, until the cake pulls away from the side of the pans, and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes. 

Remove the cakes from the oven and run a knife around the edges to loosen them from the sides of the pans. One at a time, invert the cakes onto a plate and then re-invert them onto a cooling rack, rounded-sides up. Let cool completely.

Frost the cake. Place 1 layer, rounded-side don, in the middle of a rotating cake stand (or level it, if you are using crumbs to decorate the cake). Using a palette knife or offset spatula spread some of the cream cheese frosting over the top of the cake. (Spread enough frosting to make a 1/4 to 1/2-inch layer.) Carefully set another layer on top, rounded-side down, (or leveled) and repeat. Top with the remaining layer and cover the entire cake with the remaining frosting. Sprinkle the top with pecans. (Or crumble the scraps of cake left from leveling the layers and press them into the sides or top of the cake.)

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 pound cream cheese, softened

4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cups), softened

1 tsp. vanilla extract

In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand-held electric mixer in a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar, and butter on low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to high, and mix until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. (Occasionally turn the mixer off, and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.)

Reduce the speed of the mixer to low. Add the vanilla, raise the speed to high and mix briefly until fluffy (scrape down the bowl occasionally). Store in the refrigerator until somewhat stiff, before using. May be stored in the refrigerator for 3 days. 

Yield: enough to frost a 3 layer (9-inch) cake.

Start baking!

Joy of Baking Apple Pie

For our 4th of July BBQ, a friend brought over an amazing apple pie. Sadly, this was the only picture I got of it, which isn't very good... if you look in the corner, you can see my dog, looking crazy. Anyways, I didn't make this, but it was amazing. However, my friend said that it was a pain to make. It does take a long time, according to the recipe, but I think it is worth it, because it was amazing. Good luck!

Apple Pie (from www.joyofbaking.com)

Pate Brisee (Short Crust Pastry):

2 1/2 cups ap flour

1 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. granulated white sugar

1 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1 inch pieces

1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

In a food processor, place the flour, salt, and sugar and process until combined. Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal (about 15 seconds). Pour 1/4 cup water ina a slow, steady stream, through the feed tube until the dough just holds together when pinched. If necessary, add more water. Do not process more than 30 seconds.

Turn the dough onto your work surface and gather into a ball. Divide the dough in half, flattening each half into a disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about one hour before using. This will chill the butter and relax the gluten in the flour.

After the dough has chilled sufficiently, remove one portion of the dough from the fridge and place it on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry into a 12 inch (30 cm) circle. (To prevent the pastry from sticking to the counter and to ensure uniform thickness, keep lifting up and turning the pastry a quarter turn as you roll (always roll from the center of the pastry outwards).) Fold the dough in half and gently transfer to a 9 inch (23 cm) pie pan. Brush off any excess flour and trim the edges of the pastry to fit the pie pan. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator.

Then remove the second round of pastry and roll it into a 12 inch (30 cm) circle. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator.

Make the Apple Filling:

2 1/2 pounds apples (about 6 large), peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4 thick (about 8 cups sliced)

1/4 cup granulated white sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch

In a large bowl combine the sliced apples, sugars, lemon juice, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and sal. Let the apples macerate at room temperature for about two hours. Then, place the apples and their juices in a strainer that is placed over a large bowl (to capture the juices). Let the apples drain for about 15-30 minutes or until you have at least 1/2 cup of juice. Spray a 4 cup heatproof measuring cup with a nonstick vegetable spray, and then pour in the collected juices and the 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter. Place in the microwave and boil the liquid, on high, 6 to 7 minutes or until the liquid has reduced to about 1/3 cup and is syrupy and lightly caramelized. (Alternatively, you could place the juices and butter in a small saucepan and boil over medium high heat on the stove.)

Meanwhile, remove the top pastry crust from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes so it has time to soften and become pliable. Transfer the drained apple slices to a large bowl and mix them with the cornstarch. Then pour the reduced syrup over the apples and toss to combine. Pour the apples and their syrup into the chilled pie crust. Moisten the edges of the pie shell with a little water and then place the top crust over the apples. Tuck any excess pastry under the bottom crust and then crimp the edges using your fingers or a fork. Using a sharp knife, make five 2-inch (5 cm) slits from the center of the pie out towards the edge of the pie to allow the steam to escape. Cover the pie with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill the pastry while you preheat the oven.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Place the oven rack at the lowest level and place a baking stone or baking sheet on the rack before preheating the oven. Place a piece of aluminum foil on the stone (or pan) to catch any apple juices.

Set the pie on the stone or pan and bake for about 45 to 55 minutes or until the juices start to bubble through the slits and the apples feel tender (not mushy) when a toothpick or sharp knife is inserted through one of the slits. Make sure to cover the edges of the pie with a foil ring to prevent over browning after about 30 minutes.

Remove the pie from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 3-4 hours before cutting. Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream or softly whipped cream. Store at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.

Makes one 9 inch (23 cm) pie.

What can I say, but... good luck?

Lemon Meringue Pie

For our 4th of July BBQ, I decided I would make the hamburger cupcakes (below), and lemon meringue pie. I had never made one before, so I was nervous. Lemon meringue pie is always rumored to be difficult. But really, it just looks and tastes like it was really hard to make, because it was easy. The only thing is that when you wait for the curd to come to a simmer, it might take longer than the recipe said, so don't worry. In the picture below you can see that the sugar did something weird and formed some little dots of liquid (update: I now know this to be weeping :D ). If this happens, don't worry, because it won't affect the taste at all, and, honestly, it makes the pie look pretty. Good luck with the recipe, and don't be scared!

Lemon Meringue Pie (courtesy of Emeril Lagassse, www.foodnetwork.com)

Ingredients:

1 recipe Sweet Pie Crust, recipe follows

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

5 tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup milk

1/2 cup cold water

1/8 teaspoon salt

6 large egg yolks

2/3 cup fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest

1 1/2 tablespoons limoncello (I left this out)

2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

4 large egg whites

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

6 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

Directions:

After following instructions for pie crust below, remove the dough from the refrigerator and on a lightly floured surface, roll out to a 12-inch circle. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie pan, pressing gently to fit, trim the edge to within 1/2-inch of the pan, turn under, and crimp decoratively. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Line the pie shell with parchment paper and fill with pie weights, dry beans, or rice. Bake until the crust is set, about 12 minutes. Remove the parchment paper and weights and bake until lightly colored, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack before filling. Combine the granulated sugar, cornstarch, milk, water, and pinch of the salt in a large, non-reactive saucepan, whisk to combine, and bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking occasionally. As the mixture reaches a simmer and begins to thicken and turn clear, 4 to 5 minutes, whisk in the egg yolks, 2 at a time. Slowly add the lemon juice, whisking constantly, and add the zest and limoncello. Add the butter, 1 piece at a time, and whisking constantly, return to a simmer. Remove from heat and pour immediately into the prepared pie crust.

Beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, and remaining pinch salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Beating constantly, gradually add the confectioners' sugar and beat until glossy stiff peaks form, being careful not to over beat, as this will make the meringue difficult to spread.

Transfer the meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a medium star tip. Working 1 row at a time, pipe the meringue across the top of the hot lemon filling in a zigzag pattern, alternating direction with each row. Cover the pie filling completely, going out to the pastry edges, so the meringue does not draw up or weep during baking. (Alternatively, spread the meringue evenly over the pie filling using a rubber spatula, smoothing out to the pastry edges. Make decorative peaks in the meringue using a dull knife or the back of a spoon.)

To quickly cook the meringue, preheat the broiler with the rack in the highest position. Place the pie under the broiler and cook until the meringue is set and golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes, watching carefully to avoid burning. (Alternatively, the meringue can be cooked in a preheated 325 degree F oven until set and golden brown, 14 to 16 minutes.)

Transfer the pie to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.

Sweet Pie Crust:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into pieces

2 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening (I used 8 tablespoons butter instead of 6 butter and 2 shortening)

3 to 4 tablespoons ice water, or as needed

Sift the flour, sugar, and salt into a large bowl. With your fingers, work the butter and shortening into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add 3 tablespoons of the ice water and work with your fingers just until the dough comes together, adding more water as needed, 1 teaspoon at a time, to make a smooth dough, being careful not to overwork the dough.

Form the dough into a disk shape, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using.

Yield: enough dough for 1 (9 or 10-inch) crust.

Have fun!