I survived my 2nd Daring Bakers Challange!!

Chris from Mele Cotte honestly tried to kill the Daring Bakers this month! She choose the Filbert Gateau for July's Challenge from Great Cakes by Carol Walter. I had never heard of a "Filbert Gateau". I read the directions OVER and OVER and OVER again and I was still baffled! So I had my darling husband read them(our children haven't sucked his brain out like they have mine!!)

After I got all of my ducks in a row, I did the cake a few steps at a time over 3 days!

I have to say I did not like the taste of the cake at all! It was a bit dry and boring in flavor! I must say the Praline Swiss Buttercream was to dye for! However, when I brought my sister one of the mini cakes to try, she was outside at the pool and all of the ganache and the buttercream literally melted and slid right off the cake. It was amusing to watch!

The decorating was a pain in the ass. Probably because I cut the 10" cake into 6 mini cakes. I tried everything to get those damn sides smooth, but nothing worked. The tops were as smooth as glass, but the sides were far from perfect!

I hate to say this but I threw all but 1 of the cakes in the garbage. First I didn't like the taste and second I didn't like the way they looked! I blame it in my perfection gene!

I am glad that I was challenged to make this cake, however I will not be making it again!

View all the other BEAUTIFUL DB's creations here!

Filbert Gateau with Praline Buttercream From Great Cakes by Carol Walter

1 Filbert Genoise

1 recipe sugar syrup, flavored with dark rum

1 recipe Praline Buttercream

½ cup heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks

1 recipe Apricot Glaze

1 recipe Ganache Glaze, prepared just before using

3 tablespoons filberts, toasted and coarsely chopped

Filbert Genoise

Because of the amount of nuts in the recipe, this preparation is different from a classic genoise.

1 ½ cups hazelnuts, toasted/skinned

2/3 cup cake flour, unsifted

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

7 large egg yolks

1 cup sugar, divided

¼ & ¾ cups1 tsp. vanilla extract

½ tsp. grated lemon rind

5 lg. egg whites

¼ cup warm, clarified butter (100 – 110 degrees)

Position rack in the lower 3rd of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10” X 2” inch round cake pan. Using a food processor, process nuts, cake flour, and cornstarch for about 30 seconds. Then, pulse the mixture about 10 times to get a fine, powdery mixture. You’ll know the nuts are ready when they begin to gather together around the sides of the bowl. While you want to make sure there aren’t any large pieces, don’t over-process. Set aside.

Put the yolks in the bowl of an electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, and beat until thick and light in color, about 3-4 minutes on med-high speed. Slowly, add ¾ cup of sugar. It is best to do so by adding a tablespoon at a time, taking about 3 minutes for this step. When finished, the mixture should be ribbony. Blend in the vanilla and grated lemon rind. Remove and set aside.

Place egg whites in a large, clean bowl of the electric mixer with the whisk attachment and beat on medium speed, until soft peaks. Increase to med-high speed and slowly add the remaining ¼ cup of sugar, over 15-20 seconds or so. Continue to beat for another ½ minute. Add the yolk mixture to the whites and whisk for 1 minute.

Pour the warm butter in a liquid measure cup (or a spouted container). * It must be a deep bottom bowl and work must be fast.* Put the nut meal in a mesh strainer (or use your hand – working quickly) and sprinkle it in about 2 tablespoons at a time – folding it carefully for about 40 folds. Be sure to exclude any large chunks/pieces of nuts. Again, work quickly and carefully as to not deflate the mixture. When all but about 2 Tbsp. of nut meal remain, quickly and steadily pour the warm butter over the batter. Then, with the remaining nut meal, fold the batter to incorporate, about 13 or so folds.

With a rubber spatula, transfer the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the surface with the spatula or back of a spoon. **If collected butter remains at the bottom of the bowl, do not add it to the batter! It will impede the cake rising while baking.

Tap the pan on the counter to remove air bubbles and bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes. You’ll know the cake is done when it is springy to the touch and it separates itself from the side of the pan. Remove from oven and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Invert onto a cake rack sprayed with nonstick coating, removing the pan. Cool the cake completely.

*If not using the cake right away, wrap thoroughly in plastic wrap, then in a plastic bag, then in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If freezing, wrap in foil, then the bag and use within 2-3 months.

Sugar Syrup

Makes 1 cup, good for one 10-inch cake – split into 3 layers

1 cup water

¼ cup sugar

2 Tbsp. dark rum or orange flavored liqueur

In a small, yet heavy saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add the liqueur. Cool slightly before using on the cake. *Can be made in advance.

Praline Buttercream

1 recipe Swiss Buttercream

1/3 cup praline paste

1 ½ - 2 Tbsp. Jamaican rum (optional)

Blend ½ cup buttercream into the paste, then add to the remaining buttercream. Whip briefly on med-low speed to combine. Blend in rum.

Swiss Buttercream

4 lg. egg whites

¾ cup sugar

1 ½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly firm

1 ½ -2 Tbsp. Grand Marnier or liqueur of your choice

1 tsp. vanilla

Place the egg whites in a lg/ bowl of a electric mixer and beat with the whisk attachment until the whites are foamy and they begin to thicken (just before the soft peak stage). Set the bowl over a saucepan filled with about 2 inches of simmering water, making sure the bowl is not touching the water. Then, whisk in the sugar by adding 1-2 tablespoon of sugar at a time over a minutes time. Continue beating 2-3 minutes or until the whites are warm (about 120 degrees) and the sugar is dissolved. The mixture should look thick and like whipped marshmallows.Remove from pan and with either the paddle or whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and sugar on med-high until its a thick, cool meringue – about 5-7 minutes. *Do not overbeat*. Set aside.

Place the butter in a separate clean mixing bowl and, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter at medium speed for 40-60 seconds, or until smooth and creamy. *Do not overbeat or the butter will become toooooo soft.*

On med-low speed, blend the meringue into the butter, about 1-2 Tbsp. at a time, over 1 minute. Add the liqueur and vanilla and mix for 30-45 seconds longer, until thick and creamy.

Refrigerate 10-15 minutes before using.

Wait! My buttercream won’t come together! Reheat the buttercream briefly over simmering water for about 5 seconds, stirring with a wooden spoon. Be careful and do not overbeat. The mixture will look broken with some liquid at the bottom of the bowl. Return the bowl to the mixer and whip on medium speed just until the cream comes back together.

Wait! My buttercream is too soft! Chill the buttercream in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes and rewhip. If that doesn’t work, cream an additional 2-4 Tbsp. of butter in a small bowl– making sure the butter is not as soft as the original amount, so make sure is cool and smooth. On low speed, quickly add the creamed butter to the buttercream, 1 Tbsp. at a time.

Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or can be frozen for up to 6 months. If freezing, store in 2 16-oz. plastic containers and thaw in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for several hours.

Praline Paste

1 cup (4 ½ oz.) Hazelnuts, toasted/skinless

2/3 cup Sugar

Line a jelly roll pan with parchment and lightly butter.

Put the sugar in a heavy 10-inch skillet. Heat on low flame for about 10-20 min until the sugar melts around the edges. Do not stir the sugar. Swirl the pan if necessary to prevent the melted sugar from burning. Brush the sides of the pan with water to remove sugar crystals. If the sugar in the center does not melt, stir briefly. When the sugar is completely melted and caramel in color, remove from heat. Stir in the nuts with a wooden spoon and separate the clusters. Return to low heat and stir to coat the nuts on all sides. Cook until the mixture starts to bubble. **Remember – extremely hot mixture.** Then onto the parchment lined sheet and spread as evenly as possible. As it cools, it will harden into brittle. Break the candied nuts into pieces and place them in the food processor. Pulse into a medium-fine crunch or process until the brittle turns into a powder. To make paste, process for several minutes. Store in an airtight container and store in a cool dry place. Do not refrigerate.

Apricot Glaze

Good for one 10-inch cake

2/3 cup thick apricot preserves

1 Tbsp. water

In a small, yet heavy saucepan, bring the water and preserves to a slow boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes. If the mixture begins to stick to the bottom of the saucepan, add water as needed.

Remove from heat and, using a strainer, press the mixture through the mesh and discard any remnants. With a pastry brush, apply the glaze onto the cake while the cake is still warm. If the glaze is too thick, thin to a preferred consistency with drops of water.

Ganache Glaze

Makes about 1 cup, enough to cover the top and sides of a 9 or 10 inch layer or tube cake

**Ganache can take on many forms. While warm – great fudge sauce. While cool or lukewarm – semisweet glaze. Slightly chilled – can be whipped into a filling/frosting. Cold & solid – the base of candied chocolate truffles.

6 oz. (good) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, like Lindt

6 oz. (¾ cup heavy cream

1 tbsp. light corn syrup

1 Tbsp. Grand Marnier, Cointreay, or dark Jamaican rum (optional)

¾ tsp. vanilla

½ - 1 tsp. hot water, if needed

Blend vanilla and liqueur/rum together and set aside.

Break the chocolate into 1-inch pieces and place in the basket of a food processor and pulse until

finely chopped. Transfer into a medium sized bowl and set aside.

Heat the cream and corn syrup in a saucepan, on low, until it reached a gentle boil. Once to the gently boil, immediately and carefully pour over the chocolate. Leave it alone for one minute, then slowly stir and mix the chocolate and cream together until the chocolate is melted and incorporated into the cream. Carefully blend in vanilla mixture. If the surface seems oily, add ½ - 1 tsp hot water. The glaze will thicken, but should still be pourable. If it doesn’t thicken, refrigerate for about 5 minutes, but make sure it doesn’t get too cold!

Assembling Cake

Cut a cardboard disk slightly smaller than the cake. Divide the cake into 3 layers and place the first layer top-side down on the disk. Using a pastry brush, moisten the layer with 3-4 Tbsp. of warm sugar syrup. Measure out 1 cup of praline buttercream and set aside.

Spread the bottom layer with a ¼-inch thickness of the remaining buttercream. Cover with ½ of the whipped cream, leaving ¼-inch border around the edge of the cake. Place the middle layer over the first, brush with sugar syrup, spreading with buttercream. Cover with the remaining whipped cream.

Moisten the cut side of the third layer with additional sugar syrup and place cut side down on the cake. Gently, press the sides of the cake to align the layers. Refrigerate to chill for at least 30 minutes.

Lift the cake by sliding your palm under the cardboard. Holding a serrated or very sharp night with an 8-inch blade held parallel to the sides of the cake, trim the sides so that they are perfectly straight. Cut a slight bevel at the top to help the glaze drip over the edge. Brush the top and sides of the cake with warm apricot glaze, sealing the cut areas completely. Chill while you prepare the ganache.

Place a rack over a large shallow pan to catch the ganache drippings. Remove the gateau from the refrigerator and put it the rack. With a metal spatula in hand, and holding the saucepan about 10 inches above the cake, pour the ganache onto the cake’s center. Move the spatula over the top of the ganache about 4 times to get a smooth and mirror-like appearance. The ganache should cover the top and run down the sides of the cake. When the ganache has been poured and is coating the cake, lift one side of the rack and bang it once on the counter to help spread the ganache evenly and break any air bubbles. (Work fast before setting starts.) Patch any bare spots on the sides with a smaller spatula, but do not touch the top after the “bang”. Let the cake stand at least 15 minutes to set after glazing.

To garnish the cake, fit a 12 – 14-inch pastry bag with a #114 large leaf tip. Fill the bag with the reserved praline cream. Stating ½ inch from the outer edge of the cake, position the pastry tube at a 90 degree angle with the top almost touching the top of the cake. Apply pressure to the pastry bag, moving it slightly toward the center of the cake. As the buttercream flows on the cake, reverse the movement backward toward the edge of the cake and finish by pulling the bag again to the center. Stop applying pressure and press the bag downward, then quickly pull the tip up to break the flow of frosting. Repeat, making 12 leaves evenly spaced around the surface of the cake.

Make a second row of leaves on the top of the first row, moving the pastry bag about ¾ inch closer to the center. The leaves should overlap. Make a 3rd row, moving closer and closer to the center. Add a 4th row if you have the room. But, leave a 2-inch space in the center for a chopped filbert garnish. Refrigerate uncovered for 3-4 hours to allow the cake to set.

Remove the cake from the refrigerator at least 3 hours before serving.Leftover cake can be covered with foil and kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

WEIGHT WATCHER WEDNESDAY

Apple Cake

2 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup skim milk
2 Tbsp Butter
1 Tbsp Vanilla
1 cup self rising flour, sifted
1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 large apple, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp sugar

Preheat oven to 400.
Coat 8" round cake pan with cooking spray

Beat eggs and 1/2 cup sugar until light
Stir in milk, melted butter and vanilla
Combine flour and cornstarch
Fold into flour mixture into wet mixture
Pour into pan
Layer apples in circular pattern on top of cake batter
Combine cinnamon and sugar, sprinkle on top of apples

Bake 30-35 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
Cut into 8 pieces

Point Value: 3
Servings: 8

This weeks entry into Weight Watcher Wednesday is just as yummy as the previous 2!

My husband said it reminded him of French Toast. He said it tasted "eggy" but not in a bad "egg" way! I must admit ..I forgot to add the milk! Dork! After I put the cake in the oven, I turned around and saw my perfectly measured out milk still sitting on the counter! For about 1/2 of a nanosecond I thought about remaking the cake, but I said screw it! Even though it took more time for the oven to heat up than to actually prepare the cake, I was feeling lazy and let it slide! The cake was pretty good even without the milk!

As always check out Em's sites The Repressed Pastry Chef and Weight Watcher Wednesdays!

Dont forget to vote!

My video posts are in your hands..I put up a pole so please vote(its located to the right at the top). I don't want to annoy anyone with my complete dorkyness. So please let me know if I should continue with the videos by casting your vote! Thanks a Bunch!

BC/AC.(before coffee/after coffee) +giveaway!!

BEFORE COFFEE

AFTER COFFEE

Enough said! I NEED coffee..and I look like shit in the morning!!!

Beef..its whats for Dinner!!

My Brother-In-Law John told me this morning he was very disappointed the I had never posted a "Beef" dish.(visit him @ Stanton's Space) I know it seems like I only cook chicken in my house, but that is far from the truth! I am a steak and Potato kinda girl! I love love love red meat. And I like it rare! Cut off its horns, wipe its ass and put it on my plate!Yep that's how I like it. My husband likes it cooked to shoe leather. Like, whats the point of eating a fine piece of meat if you are going to KILL it??? But to each their own. I actually have him eating it Medium well now! OOOHHHH go me!! Again as I said before I am limited in my dinner photography because I rely on natural light. And dinner time=crappy lighting!

Well this is for you John..a mighty yummy piece of London Broil. I remember my mom always making London Broil and marinating it Wishbone Italian Dressing. While it is great like that, I had to find some alternate way to marinate it! And the search began...

I happened upon an Emeril's recipe that looked tasty!

Marinated London Broil

1 (2 1/2 pound) tri-tip London Broil or flank steak

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup dry red wine

2 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoon Creole mustard, or other spicy whole-grain mustard

1 tablespoon Essence

1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

4 cloves garlic, smashed

Place the flank steak in a large, plastic resealable bag. In a large, glass measuring cup, combine red wine vinegar, red wine, olive oil, Worcestershire, soy sauce, mustard, essence, salt, pepper, and garlic. Pour the marinade into the bag with the steak, seal and place inside a large, glass baking dish to prevent possible spills. Marinate in the refrigerator for 24 hours (or at least 6 hours). Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to high heat. (Alternately, preheat the broiler). Remove the steak from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Place the steak on the grill (or under the broiler) and cook to desired doneness, about 6 minutes per side for rare. Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let stand for 5 minutes before carving. Slice across the grain into thin diagonal slices.

Make sure you ALWAYS cut AGAINST the grain. If you cut along the grain, you will feel like you are chewing on a rubber band! No so good!!!

I paired the steak with simple fresh green beans with salt and pepper. And also Pan Rosemary Potatoes, that I saute in butter and olive oil with some season salt, rosemary, garlic powder and onion powder until fork tender!

Simple dinner..DONE

Smile Award..and another video post!

Please Please no autographs..I know I deserve an Oscar for my performance!LOL LOL

Again..I know I am a dork..so no need for anyone to point out the obvious!!!

Sorry for my lack of editing skills on my videos..I honestly haven't figured out how to do it!

Thank you soooo much to Jenny at the Picky Palate for passing on the smile award to me!!!

I love her blog..I was reading it well before I started my blog of my own..she was and is one of my inspirations!

Here is the list of 5 blogs that I am passing the award onto..

1..Sophie @ Flour Arrangements..Her blog is honest and delicious. she always makes food that is inviting and lovely.

2.Cookie Madness..If you are looking for a cookie recipe of any kind ...you WILL find it here!What a wonderful blog.There are deserts other than cookies and everything looks wonderful.

3.Prudy @ prudencepennywise. She has family friendly meals that look delish. And I love love love how she puts the estimated cost for each dish! Very Clever

4.Lori @ The Recipegirl...Drool drool drool..seriously take a look at her blog and you will salivate at all her neat ideas!

5.Lisa @ jerseygirlcooks... After I saw the 5 pound Lobster on her site I was hooked..I am jealous of her divine seafood dishes. My family doesn't eat seafood, so I go to her site to cry!

The rules are listed here.

And the creator of the award is Mere

WEIGHT WATCHER WEDNESDAY

First..sorry for the hideous photo..I sooooo need to get a Lowel Ego light. Going outside to use the natural light is just not working for me! It was so humid today that I couldn't get my camera to stop fogging up!

I am really enjoying Weight Watcher Wednesdays! I know when I am eating whatever I made it will be delicious and nutritious! Again, thanks to my friend Em at The Repressed Pastry Chef for starting WWW!!

I know I am boring and predictable..another chicken dish! Well, we eat a bunch of chicken in my house mainly because that's what my picky eaters will eat and I can do anything with it!

This dinner is easy as can be to make and an easy clean up(a HUGE bonus for me)!

It has a wonderful thick sauce bursting with garlic flavor that the broccoli soaks right up!

Chicken with Broccoli and Garlic Sauce

Ingredients

2 tsp Olive oil
3 Medium garlic clove(s), minced, or more to taste
1 pound Uncooked chicken breast, boneless and skinless, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tsp Dried thyme, or 2 tbsp fresh minced thyme, or to taste
1/2 tsp Table salt
1/4 tsp Black pepper
2 cup Broccoli, florets
1 1/2 cup Canned chicken broth, reduced-sodium
1 1/2 tbsp Cornstarch
2 cup Cooked brown rice, kept hot

Preparation

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Season chicken with thyme, salt and pepper and add to skillet. Cook until browned on all sides, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes.
Add broccoli to skillet, cover and cook 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of broth, cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.
Dissolve cornstarch in remaining 1/2 cup of broth and add mixture to skillet. Simmer until mixture thickens, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Serve over rice. Yields about 1 cup of chicken mixture and 1/2 cup of rice per serving

Points Value: 5
Servings: 4
Prep Time: 17 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 min

Left over rice? Make Rice pudding!!!!!

Even though my children don't like rice..I have to do my part as a responsible parent and cook it and put it on their plate! Do they eat it?? Hell no! So needless to say I often have a bunch of leftovers. I was left with exactly 2 cups of brown rice. I'll throw it away..then I heard of voice of my past(mother).."eat your food, there are starving children in China." SO it sat there on the stove until I figured out its fate!

Ah ha..RICE PUDDIN!

Oh wait I cook all my rice and couscous in chicken stock(gives it much more flavor). Oh no I didn't..not tonight. I used my last drop of chicken stock on my Chicken Piccata. So I used plain water to cook the rice..so there was a green light for the Rice Puddin!!

Leslie's Left Over Rice Pudding

2 cups cooked rice (brown or white)

about 3 cups milk

1/2 cup splenda or sugar

1/8 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup raisins or fruit of choice..I used Regular and golden raisins

Spices to taste ...like cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice..etc

Walnuts for a crunch if you like

All add ingredients to the cooked rice except the spices and bring to a boil. Boil for a few minutes and then cook until most of the milk is absorbed. Once you get to your desired consistency, add your spices. Add the nuts if you want. Serve hot or cold! Its was yummy either way!

Video Post Update..with no eye twitch!

A big thank you from me to YOU!

WEIGHT WATCHER WEDNESDAY + meme at the end

Here we are on week #3 of Weight Watcher Wednesday..and today I didn't have a sweet tooth(bizarre right?) so I decided to cook something savory. Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo.I am a big fan of the FULL FAT, ALL BUTTER and ALL CREAM version, but if you can lighten it up, why not??!!The sauce was not as thick as the original. But it was equally as tasty! I didn't feel guilty after scarfing down a nice big bowl!

Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

Ingredients

6 medium garlic cloves, peeled and smashed with a knife
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts, washed and patted dry(four 4 oz pieces)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Cooking Spray
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup whole milk plain yogurt, Greek-Style
salt..for cooking pasta
8 oz uncooked whole wheat fettuccine
1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 cup parsley, fresh, flat leaf, finely chopped



Instructions

Heat large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Rub garlic over chicken, reserve garlic. Season chicken with salt and pepper and rub it in the chicken. Coat skillet w/ cooking spray and then set over medium heat. Saute garlic until fragrant. about 1 minute. Add chicken and cook until golden, flipping once, about 5 minutes per side. In a small bowl, combine broth, heavy cream and yogurt: pour over chicken and scrape the bottom of the skillet to incorporate seasonings. Simmer chicken gently, turning once, about 30 minutes.Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Remove chicken from cream sauce and set aside. Add Parmesan cheese to cream mixture and mix until well combined. Add cooked pasta and 3 Tbsp of parsley; toss well. Serve pasta topped w/ chicken and the rest of the parsley.


Points value: 9
Prep time: 12 minutes
Serves: 4


I have been tagged from The Stressed Baker for another set of memes! You can see the rules here at her site. On this set of memes I have to tell you all 6 random things about me..my goodness I could tell you a million..but here are 6 not so interesting thins about me..

1...I am terrified of heights.

2...I graduated from nursing school, but never work a day as a nurse after realizing that I am a germ-a-phob

3...I have never been in a fight with any of my friends..I am a lover

4...I hate scary movies..my imagination goes wild..I swear Jason Myers and Freddy Kruger are real and they must life on my street and only come out at night!

5...I am a hotel snob

6...My right eye is blue with 1/4 perfect pie shape in it that is brown

Well thats it..gripping huh?

I am going to keep this in the Daring Bakers Ring..I am randomly going to pick 6 of my DB's to get to know better.

http://pamelaskitchen.blogspot.com/

http://novice-baker.blogspot.com/

http://www.cupcake-corner.blogspot.com/

http://www.butterandsugar.org/blog/

http://vanillabasil.blogspot.com/

http://lifeaftergluten.blogspot.com/

Blueberry Pancakes...Simply Yummy + some Tips

Will ya look at the action shot! Drippy butter! Nothing better than that!

BLUEBERRY PANCAKES

INGREDIENTS
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup milk (plus an extra tablespoon or so if batter is too thick)
1 large egg , separated
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 cup blueberries

vegetable oil (for brushing griddle)

1. Mix dry ingredients in medium bowl. Pour buttermilk and milk into 2-cup Pyrex measuring cup. Mix yolk with melted butter, then stir into milk mixture. Whisk egg white in large bowl to stiff peaks. Dump wet ingredients into dry ingredients all at once; whisk until just mixed. Quickly fold egg white into batter. Fold blueberries into batter.

2. Meanwhile, heat griddle or large skillet over strong medium-high heat. Brush griddle generously with oil. When water splashed on surface confidently sizzles, spoon batter, about 1/4 cup at a time, onto griddle, making sure not to overcrowd. When pancake bottoms are brown and top surface starts to bubble, 2 to 3 minutes, flip cakes and cook until remaining side has browned, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Re-oil the skillet and repeat for the next batch of pancakes.

Recipe and pancake tips found on Cooks Illustrated.

Are there any tricks to making and serving great pancakes?
Hare some tricks we've found make for successful pancakes:Mix the Batter Lightly. There are two factors that promote fluffiness in pancake batter, underdeveloped gluten and dissolved baking soda. Gluten is a mix of very long proteins that are disorganized in structure. Once gluten is dissolved in water, these proteins can more easily rearrange their structure. Kneading or mixing gluten elongates the proteins and somewhat organizes them, an action similar to combing the strands of your hair. As the proteins start to lie more or less parallel to each other, the dough becomes elastic and less tender. By reducing the mixing time of your batter, you give the gluten less opportunity to organize.

Baking soda (either on its own or as part of the baking powder formula) creates the bubbles that make pancakes rise. When baking soda encounters an acid, carbon dioxide is formed to produce the bubbles in the batter. The stirring of the pancake batter speeds bubble formation by moving the baking soda and acid together. Unfortunately, stirring also causes the release of carbon dioxide gas by bringing formed bubbles to the surface of the mixture. Just a little too much stirring and the bubble-forming capacity of the baking soda will be quickly exhausted. To make the fluffiest pancakes possible, then, you should stir the batter until the ingredients are just incorporated—and not one stir more!

Use the Batter Within an Hour. To determine how far in advance we could make pancake batter, we mixed up a few batches of basic pancake batter and held them for different lengths of time before cooking: one hour, two hours, and three hours. Holding the batter for one hour had no detrimental effect on the pancakes. After two and three hours, however, the batter spread out too easily, producing thin, floppy cakes that were much less appealing than the ones made from fresh batter. Here’s why: In fresh pancake batter, baking powder reacts quickly, releasing most of its gas in a short period of time. The longer the batter sits, the fewer bubbles there are left when it’s time to cook, increasing the likelihood of flat flapjacks.

At first we thought we could add a bit more baking powder to the batter to provide some extra lift, but this merely lent an unpleasant chemical taste to the pancakes. Next, we tried adding a stiffly beaten egg white to the batter. The resulting pancakes were not quite as fluffy as those from fresh batter, but the egg white added a good amount of height. So the next time you find yourself with pancake batter past its prime, simply add a stiffly beaten egg white.

Heat the Pan Properly. The best way to determine when the skillet is ready is to make a test pancake the size of a half-dollar (use 1 tablespoon of batter). If after one minute the pancake is golden brown, the pan is ready. If the bottom of the pancake remains blond—or is close to burning—adjust the heat accordingly.

Serve as Soon as Possible. We tried several methods to determine how to hold pancakes before serving, from stacking up the pancakes on a heated plate, to covering them with foil, or to placing the plate of stacked pancakes in a warm oven. All of these methods did the job as far as keeping the pancakes warm. Even by the last batch of pancakes, the temperature reading would hit somewhere between 145 and 150 degrees. But these pancakes were compressed from being stacked, and they steamed from the heat and became very rubbery.

What we found that the best method was to spread the pancakes on a large cooling rack placed on a sheet pan (be sure to spray the cooling rack well with vegetable cooking spray and save yourself from sticking pancakes). Place the pan and the rack in a 200-degree oven and place your pancakes on the rack in a single layer, uncovered, for up to 20 minutes (or be warned-they will start to dry out.) The warm oven keeps the pancakes hot enough to melt a pat of butter, and leaving the pancakes uncovered keeps them from becoming soggy.

P.S..or you could sooooo cheat and use Bisquick and just add Blueberries! You can never go wrong with that!!!

RED VELVET LOVE

This might come to a shock to some of you..but..No Red Velvet of any kind has ever touched my lips! Shocking I know! I am not sure how it has missed the reach of my hands. But nope, never had it. Back in June I saw a beautiful photo of some Red Velvet Cupcakes over on Em's site..

The Repressed Pastry Chef I printed it and put it in my ever growing pile of "To Make" list.

So today I was aching to bake something..seems like I have that ache everyday!

Well, they were really easy to whip up. It only took a few minutes from the time I started to get them in the oven. I seem to have a sinking in the middle cupcake issue, so I was pleasantly surprised to see when I pulled them out of the oven they didn't sink in the middle. YEAH!

The cream Cheese frosting is OUT OF THIS WORLD! While I was decorating the cupcakes it went like this...one squirt for the cupcakes...one big squirt in the mouth for me! Oh its that good!

I am not the Red Velvet expert, but this one is a keeper!

P.S...Happy Birthday to EM..stop by her site and wish her Happy Birthday!

RED VELVET CUPCAKES with CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

1c cake flour

1/3c cocoa

1/2tsp salt

2/3c vegetable oil

3/4c sugar

1 egg

1oz (2T) red food coloring

1/2tsp vanilla

1/2c buttermilk

1/2tsp baking soda

3/4tsp white vinegar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Line12-cupcake pans with cupcake liners and spray with cooking spray.Whisk cake flour, cocoa and salt in a bowl.Place oil and sugar in bowl of an electric mixer and beat at medium speed until well-blended. Beat in eggs one at a time.With machine on low, very slowly add red food coloring . Add vanilla. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk in two batches. Scrape down bowl and beat just long enough to combine.Place baking soda in a small dish, stir in vinegar and add to batter with machine running. Beat for 10 seconds.Divide batter among 12-cupcake pans, filling each about 2/3 full.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

(Mine cooked for 23 minutes.)

Em's Magnificent Cream Cheese Icing

8oz pkg of cream cheese - room temperature, divided in three parts

2 tablespoons unsalted butter - COLD

1 tablespoon shortening1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup powdered sugar

Directions

Beat sugar and butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and combine very well. Add the first third of the cream cheese and combine very well. Add the shortening and combine very well. Add the remaining cream cheese one piece at a time, combining very well after each.

WEIGHT WATCHER WEDNESDAY

Week #2 of Weight Watcher Wednesday!

Ok you got about 8 minutes? You can whip this one up!! I was leaving for the 4th of July Weekend and I didn't want to leave the Strawberries in the fridge as a science experiment! My sister was having her book club at her house that night..so I thought that was the perfect way to get rid of the ruby red jewels.

Cream Cheese Filled Strawberries

1 pound Strawberries, jumbo-size (about 18 strawberries)

4 oz Light cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup Powdered sugar

1/2 tsp Vanilla extract

Preparation

Wash and dry strawberries (leave green caps on).

Using a paring knife, cut a wide v-shape out of the pointed end of each strawberry (like an open mouth); reserve cut out pieces of strawberries.

Place cut strawberries on a serving plate, green cap side down so they will be easy to fill.

Using an electric mixer, thoroughly combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in a medium bowl.

Chop reserved leftover bits of strawberries into tiny pieces and gently stir into cream cheese mixture with a spoon.

Fill each cut strawberry with a small amount of cream cheese mixture using a spatula or knife. Arrange filled strawberries on a serving plate, green cap side down.

Yields about 3 strawberries per serving.

Points Value: 2 for 3 strawberries

Cornbread Ya'll

I must have been super out of it the other night..while cleaning up from dinner I realized I left my ear of corn on the stove. I clearly saw my whole family eating their corn..but I never thought..mmmmm..where is my corny goodness. Maybe it was my ass telling me to slowly step away from the carbs. Regardless of my lack of brain, in good conscious I couldn't throw it away. So like the foodie I am, I instantly started thinking what I could bake with it. The easiest solution was cornbread! Not the jalapeno kind..but sweet cornbread! I know sweet cornbread is not authentic, but I like mine sweet so I'm gonna make it sweet damn it!
This ain't no Jiffy cornbread mix y'all!!!! This southern dish is for you Peter

SWEET CORNY CORNBREAD with HONEY GLAZE

1/4 pound butter
2/3 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 ear of corn (kernels cut of cob)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8 inch square pan.
Melt butter in large skillet. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Quickly add eggs and beat until well blended. Combine buttermilk with baking soda and stir into mixture in pan. Stir in cornmeal, flour, and salt until well blended and few lumps remain. Stir in corn kernels. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

HONEY GLAZE
1 cup confectioners sugar

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons milk

combine all ingredients and stir until smooth

Pour glaze over cornbread...mmmmm ...if you let it sit overnight the glaze will just soak into the cornbread and make it super moist!!!

Inspired from All Recipes

Tag I'm it!

I got tagged by Bridgett at La Bella Cook for a fun little survey to take.
Below are my answers..

1. LAST MOVIE YOU SAW IN A THEATER: Hancock...actually pretty good!
2. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING: None..I cant read! I mean I can read but I just cant find many books that I can concentrate on. Probably my A.D.D kicking in!!
3. FAVORITE BOARD GAME: Trivial Pursuit..don't let the blond hair fool you folks!!
4. FAVORITE MAGAZINE: Cooking with Paula Deen and Cooks Illustrated
5. FAVORITE SMELLS: Baked good in the oven. My kids(when clean..lol)
6. FAVORITE SOUNDS: My children laughing!
7. TELL ME ABOUT FOOD: Pleasing on the tongue..but not pleasing on my ASS
8. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU THINK OF WHEN YOU WAKE: Coffee and sleep!
9. FAVORITE FAST FOOD PLACE: Pei Wei
10. FUTURE CHILD'S NAME: Good lord..if I had any more than 2..I don't think I would know my name!!
11. IF I HAD A LOT OF MONEY, I'D...: Travel the world
12. DO YOU DRIVE FAST: Oh hell no..I am a dorky rule follower
13. STORMS - COOL OR SCARY: Love em
14. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CAR: A tan 1972 VW Superbettle
15. FAVORITE DRINK: Water..boring I know!
16. IF I HAD TIME, I WOULD: Take a nap
17. DO YOU EAT THE STEMS OF BROCCOLI: YUCK
18. NAME ALL THE CITIES YOU HAVE LIVED IN: Pittsburgh, Vero Beach and Tampa
19. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH: NFL Football
20. ONE NICE THING ABOUT THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU: Bridgett..delicious blog..and always has nice things to say!
21. MORNING PERSON OR NIGHT OWL: I am not a morning, noon or night person! LOL
22. OVER EASY OR SUNNY SIDE UP: Sunny side up
23. FAVORITE PLACE TO RELAX: In my bed
24. FAVORITE PIE: Cherry
25. FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR: Butter Pecan

Now I suppose I have to pass this one on as well...hmmm lets see who will be my victims????
Play along if you wish..but not required!!
Tag your it...
Peter @ Kalofagas
Em @ The Repressed Pastry Chef

My first award!

Fun Fun Fun! I got my first "Award"! Rita at The Clumbsy Cookie has awarded me my first award. I have been ooggling over her blog sometime. And as a fellow Daring Baker, you know she ROCKS!!!Check out her site! So with these awards you are supposed to pass them on to 5 others that you think are deserving..so here are my picks...

• Stephaine's Kitchen....I just adore her blog. Her photos are great and we share the same style of cooking with a house full of picky eaters! EVERYTHING on her blog is delicious!
• Dhanggit's Kitchen....Hilda has the most beautiful website. All of her photos look like they are directly out of a gourmet cookbook. She always has funny stories to tell that go along with her divine recipes!
• Kalofagas... If you want Greek...Peter will give you Greek!!! Peter makes all the things I want to make but my family would laugh at me if I tried to serve it to them! His food is just delicious! And he always leaves the funniest comments on my blog! He is a HOOT!!!
• A Southern Grace....She might live in the fast pace life of New York..but she still serves up some good ol' Southern Food! Her posts crack me up and they aren't too bad on the eyes!!!
• La Bella Cook...Bridgett has a wonderful blog with scrumptious posts! She shared her families spaghetti recipe for me after my posting of my posting of my Not So Italian Spaghetti and I have been hooked on her blog ever since!!

The Evil and Drunk Cupcake

My best friend Bobbi had a little mid summer pool party at her house for all the kiddos. One of her friends Diane brought some cupcakes. She said they were orange and chocolate. I am NOT a big fan of chocolate and orange together. I think my dislike of the combo comes from those nasty chocolate orange chocolates that you peel like an orange..I have no clue what its name is. But me pass up on a cupcake, that will never happen in this lifetime!! I took the first bite and thought, hmmmmm....interesting. I wasn't sure if I like them or not. I took the second bite(because you can never let food go to waste)..and I was hooked! They are so very divine! You could taste the Triple Sec in the frosting. And the miniature of the orange cake and the chocolate cake was Evil!!
Diane got the recipe from the Cake Doctor book.
When I was making them, my husband tasted the frosting and said with his brow ruffled..ewww what is that??? I frosted a cupcake for him and told him he couldn't eat the frosting alone. He reluctantly tasted the entire goodie..and after his bite, he loved them! They are strange little things...I think that they are 2 bite cupcakes..they take 2 bites for you to get the full effect of the flavors! But my my my they are soooo good!!
I call them evil because when I was piping the frosting on them..they just looked kinda evil! Who knows..I'm just weird!

ORANGE SWIRL CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH ORANGE COCOA CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Cupcakes

24 paper liners
1 pkg. Fudge marble Cake mix
1 1/3 cup orange juice
1/3 cup veggie oil
3 large eggs
1 tsp. grated orange zest

Preheat oven to 350, line 24 muffin tins w/ paper liners
Place cake mix, orange juice,oil and eggs in a large bowl. Blend w/ electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Scrape sides if needed. Increase speed to medium and beat 1 1/2 minutes more. The batter should be combined. Measure out 1 cup of the batter into a medium bowl and set aside. Add the orange zest to the remaining batter in the large bowl. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds. Add the chocolate package from the cake mix to the 1 cup of batter you reserved and mix on low until combined.
Spoon the plain orange batter into the muffin cups, filling 2/3 of the way full. Spoon a heaping teaspoon of the chocolate batter on top of each cupcake. Swirl the chocolate batter into the orange batter w/ a knife or toothpick, creating a marbled effect. Place pans in the oven.
Back the cupcakes until they spring back; 18-22 minutes.(mine only took 16 minutes only after the 2nd batch..my first batch burned at 18 minutes). Let them cool completely before frosting.

ORANGE COCOA CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

8 ounces cream cheese -- at room temperature
4 tablespoons butter -- at room temperature[1/2 stick]
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon pure orange extract
3 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar -- sifted
1 tablespoon orange liqueur -- (1 to 2 tablespoons) such as Grand Marnier, Cointreau or Triple Sec
Place the cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed until fluffy, 30 seconds. Stop the machine and add the cocoa powder, orange extract, confectioners' sugar and 1 tablespoon orange liqueur. Blend with the mixer on low speed until the sugar is well combined, 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 1 minute more. If the frosting seems too stiff, blend in another 1 tablespoon liqueur. Use to frost the top and sides of the cake or cupcakes of your choice. Makes 3 1/2 cups; enough to frost a 2- or 3-layer cake or 36 cupcakes

WEIGHT WATCHER WEDNESDAY

I was reading The Repressed Pastry Chefs Blog , drooling at all of her photos. I came across her brilliant idea of doing a Weight Watchers Wednesday.
I thought it was a great thing and I wanted to participate to help a fellow foodie out with their new site! So this is my first submission!

CHOCOLATE-BANANA WONTONS

INGREDIENTS
2 serving butter-flavor cooking spray
1 large banana(s), diced
6 Tbsp mini chocolate chips
24 items wonton wrapper(s), half of a 12 oz package
1 Tbsp powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, combine banana and chocolate chips; mix gently.
Place wonton wrappers on a flat surface. Drop banana mixture by teaspoonfuls onto center of each wrapper. Moisten edges of wrapper with wet fingers, fold over one corner to make a triangle and press sides together to seal. Transfer filled wrappers to prepared baking sheet and coat surface with cooking spray.
Bake until wontons are golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Sift powdered sugar over wontons before serving. Yields 4 wontons per serving.

POINTS® Value: 4

Servings: 6

Preparation Time: 10 min

Cooking Time: 12 min

Level of Difficulty: Moderate

Crazy good Pork Tenderloin!!!!

This is seriously some super tasty Pig! The meat itself is nice and tender. The sauce is to die for! I poured it over my whole dinner plate, including my couscous and broccoli! It could definitely pass for a restaurant dish! If your in a time crunch this is a great meal. It takes no time at all to prepare. Just make sure you get a good quality pork tenderloin. Not the popular supermarket brand on the top shelf(a.k.a Hormel)!! Yuck! Sorry, not a very photogenic dish! But enjoy this one..its a keeper!

PORK TENDERLOIN WITH DIJON MARSALA SAUCE

For the pork
2 pork tenderloins
4 tablespoons Dijon mustard ( I used Grey Poupon Original Dijon)
1 tablespoon oil

Sauce

2 tablespoons butter
2 shallots, minced
1 cup Marsala wine
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (I used Grey Poupon Harvest Coarse Ground)
1 cup heavy cream

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat pork tenderloins generously with mustard. Oil a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Arrange tenderloins in pan, and brown the meat. Turn to brown evenly. Transfer meat to prepared baking dish.
Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Turn, and continue cooking for 20 minutes, or until desired doneness.
Meanwhile, melt butter over medium heat in the same pan used to cook the pork. Cook shallots in butter until soft. Stir in Marsala, mustard, and cream, and cook until volume of liquid is reduced by half.
Slice pork, and place on a serving dish. Spoon sauce over meat, and serve.

Adapted from All recipes