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30 January 2014

Deja Who?

Deja what?

Deja vu.  That's who and what.

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If you're a follower of the blog, you may be thinking you've seen this cake before.  And you'd be somewhat correct; I did a similar design a few months back.  (Evidence here.)  I did change it up a  wee bit, but it's still essentially the same design, which leaves me a little torn.  On one hand, I'm glad someone liked a previous design enough to request it for their own cake and it does make the planning and building go considerably quicker, but on the other hand - it's the same cake, been there done that.  Part of the fun is designing something new and individual for each person, but the customer is the ultimate decision maker...if they order a design that's been done by me previously, I'll do it again.  That's just the way the cookie crumbles.

28 January 2014

Coffee - Not Just For Drinking


You are probably familiar with the use of coffee in baked goods, especially in brownies and chocolate cakes, to help enhance and bring out the chocolate flavor.  But, you can also use coffee in savory recipes as well, especially in slow cooked dishes like soups, stews, and tomato sauces.  Just add a shot of brewed coffee (straight, not flavored) and let the magic happen.

Mmm...tasty!

24 January 2014

Gimme Some S'more

From The Sandlot (1993):

"Hey, Smalls, you wanna s'more?"
"Some more of what?"
"No, do you wanna s'more?"
"I haven't had anything yet, so how can I have some more of nothing?"
"You're killing me, Smalls!"

Side note:  If you've never seen The Sandlot I highly recommend that you do so.  It's an excellent movie.  Anywho, I've got a recipe for you today and yes, it is for a s'more themed confection.  However, you don't need to roast any marshmallows and your risk of getting the sticky, gooey mess that can be a s'more all over your hands and face is pretty will nil.

23 January 2014

Farrago

Go ahead...look up the definition.  I'll wait here.  Yes, you can Google it - does anyone even still own an actual dictionary?  AND know how to use it?

Truth:  Yes and yes to both of those in my case.

Anywho, moving on.  Did you find the definition?  Good.  Then you now know that we will be covering a nice mish-mash of things today.  Let's get to it, shall we?

Cupcakes!

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In this case, red velvet with cream cheese.  And, yes, this is one of those late night photos - except it wasn't all that late.  I'll be happy when the time changes.

14 January 2014

Healthier Substitute for Heavy Cream


You can substitute evaporated milk for heavy cream when you want to trim down a recipe.  Evaporated milk is thick and creamy and doesn't curdle when heated the way low-fat milk can.  Try it in soup, mac and cheese, or creamed veggies (i.e. creamed corn).

How-to?  Simply substitute an equivalent amount of evaporated milk for the cream - if your recipe calls for 1 cup heavy cream, use 1 cup evaporated milk instead.

Mmm...tasty!

10 January 2014

Naked Cake

Don't look at me like that.  Naked cakes are a pretty hot trend right now.  I'll show you one at the end of this post.  But first, I "mustache" you a question or two...

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07 January 2014

Brown Sugar


My recipe doesn't specify dark or light brown sugar?  And should I pack the brown sugar into the measuring cup?

Shade (i.e. light or dark) is a matter of preference; dark brown sugar contains more molasses and has a slightly stronger flavor.  The two are interchangeable in most cases, so you can just use what you have on hand; though if your recipe specifies light or dark, opt for using the kind suggested.  As for measuring brown sugar - always pack it into the measuring cup, this will remove air pockets and allow you to get the most accurate measurement.

Mmm...tasty!