Kirby Macaroons

Ingredients for Cookies:

• 3 large room temperature eggs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 cups confectioners sugar
• 1 cup almond flour
• 1 teaspoon salt

Ingredients for Raspberry Butter Cream Frosting:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup confectioners sugar
• 1 cup of room temperature raspberries

Directions for Cookies:

1. Sift 2 cups of powdered sugar into a large bowl
2. Sift 1 cup almond flour into the same bowl
3. Whisk together ingredients until thoroughly combined
4. Separate egg yolk from egg whites
5. Pour egg whites into another large bowl
6. Beat eggs for 4 minutes
7. Add sugar gradually while continuing to beat for 4 minutes
8. Add salt to egg & sugar mixture
9. Add pink food coloring & mix until thoroughly combined
10. Pour the powdered sugar & almond flour mixture slowly into egg & sugar mixture & gently fold 50-60 strokes *Careful not to over or under mix
11. Scoop batter into zip lock bag & cut the tip
12. Put parchment paper on cookie sheet 
13. Squeeze batter onto the parchment paper about 1-1 1/2 inch in diameter
14. Tap cookie sheet down on table so air bubbles surface to prevent lumpy cookies
15. Leave cookie sheet for 30 minutes while preheating oven to 300ﾟ
16. Bake for 20 minutes on top rack

Directions for Raspberry Butter Cream Frosting:

1. Beat butter in a large mixing bowl for 4 minutes until light & fluffy
2. Add powdered sugar gradually & continue to beat for 30 seconds
3. Mash raspberries in sifter until all the juices are in another small bowl
4. Pour 2 table spoons of the juice into the large bowl 
5. Scoop frosting into another zip lock bag & cup the tip

Final Directions:

1. Decorate Kirby faces with icing
2. Squeeze frosting into center cookie
3. Place another cookie on top

Analysis:

     For the cookies, I used the biscuit method, and for the butter cream, I used the creaming method. I really liked these French macaroons, but they were a bit too sweet. Mixing was really important because for the butter cream, you only wanted to mix it until it's light & fluffy or you'll get the wrong consistency. I thought the overall appearance was nice. I got the correct pink tone I wanted for Kirby. The top of the cookies were smooth & not cracked. I especially liked the raspberry butter cream frosting. I didn't get any of the seeds into the frosting either since I mashed it  using the sifter. It was a bit chewier than I had hoped but I still liked it. You can smell the warm raspberries when they came out of the oven. Eventually, I made more macaroons & played with the colors. So yes, I would make these again.

-Melody On Hour 1

Cake Pops

For this month I decided to make cake pops because the day I tried one in class I couldn’t wait to try and make them myself. That day I ran home from school and stopped at Cub for supplies, then got to work.

            The overall product turned out deliciously amazing and my family could not keep their hands off of them. The taste of the final product was extremely rich and chocolatey. The texture was hard on the outside, due to the hardened chocolate, however the inside was soft and creamy. The aroma of the product was fresh cake, right when the cake was done, but after they had been covered in chocolate they didn’t really have a smell. I’m not gonna lie, the appearance could’ve been better, but I figured it’s the taste that counts. After they were dipped in chocolate I put sprinkles on them, however two of the cake balls couldn’t get covered in chocolate because we ran out of enough. While baking this product, I was able to use a lot of skills that I had learned in class and was surprised at how much I had remembered. I made sure not to overmix the batter and greased my pan properly, although I didn’t have shortening at my house. I also used the video we had watched in class to help me make the cake pops. I also have to add that my favorite part of making them was crumbling up the WHOLE cake into a bowl, it was pretty fun. Also after I added the frosting into the crumbs it looked and tasted like a dough. However, I can’t bake something without there being any obstacle. I didn’t have the cake pop skewers or anything close to that to use to dip the cake balls into chocolate. Toothpicks weren’t the best alternative so I was forced to use my hands and got a little messy.

            Although I had to endure some struggles, I really enjoyed doing this project and am always amazed at how much I can apply what I’ve learned in class to everyday baking at home.

Recipe: I didn’t use a particular recipe, I just baked a yellow cake from a box then made them from memory from the video we watched in class

Ingredients:

-Box of yellow cake

-Vanilla frosting

-Chocolate chips

-Sprinkles

Lemon Bars Hour 1

1 cup butter, softened

 1/2 cup white sugar

 2 cups all-purpose flour

 4 eggs

 1 1/2 cups white sugar

 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

 2 lemons, juiced

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a medium bowl, blend together softened butter, 2 cups flour and 1/2 cup sugar. Press into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 inch pan.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until firm and golden. In another bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1/4 cup flour. Whisk in the eggs and lemon juice. Pour over the baked crust.

Bake for an additional 20 minutes in the preheated oven. The bars will firm up as they cool. 

This recipe uses a mix between the muffin method and creaming method, which surprised me. The creaming method first starts by mixing together the butter and sugar. The sugar acts as an emulsifier and spreads and breaks down the butter in order to aerate the butter. Then eggs are added and/or other liquids and finally the dry ingredients. This will create a creamy like batter, except this was somewhat more like a dough..I started by making the batter/dough into a glass pan and let it bake. Then I mixed together the liquid portion and waited for the batter to be done baking. I the poured the liquid on top and stuck it back in the oven. I then let this bake for the said time and took it out of the oven when it was done. Once it was cooled, I sprinkled powdered sugar on them and cut them into squares. The bars ended up tasting delicious. They were tangy, but still sweet and had a really nice texture. They were also crumbly, which helped make them that much better. They also made my house smell really yummy and fresh.

Strawberry Shortcake Hour 1

3 pints fresh strawberries

 1/2 cup white sugar

 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

 4 teaspoons baking powder

 2 tablespoons white sugar

 1/4 teaspoon salt

 1/3 cup shortening

 1 egg

 2/3 cup milk

 2 cups whipped heavy cream

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Directions

Slice the strawberries and toss them with 1/2 cup of white sugar. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Grease and flour one 8 inch round cake pan.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, 2 tablespoons white sugar and the salt. With a pastry blender cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center and add the beaten egg and milk. Stir until just combined.

Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool partially in pan on wire rack.

Slice partially cooled cake in half, making two layers. Place half of the strawberries on one layer and top with the other layer. Top with remaining strawberries and cover with the whipped cream.

In class, one method we learned about was the biscuit method. This consists of mixing dry ingredients together and then proceeding to cut in your choice of fat until small crumb-like pieces. You then must make a well in the middle for the wet ingredients and incorporate them until just combined. When I read this recipe, I was surprised to see that it indeed used the biscuit method instead of the creaming method. Following the recipe was pretty easy, but I accidentally didn't make a well when I added the wet ingredients. This didn't mess up the cake at all in the end. When it was baking, the cake smelled pretty good, but didn't seem like it would have any flavor. Once I took it out of the oven, I waited for it to cool and then proceeded to cut it in half. I then placed strawberries on one layer and put whipped cream on top and topped that with the other layer, which I then topped with strawberries and whipped cream again. Overall, the cake tasted really sweet, which I wasn't expecting since the cake itself was somewhat bland. 

NUtella Cupcakes

Angie Lelyukh

May Blog: Choclate Cupcakes Frosted with Whipped Nutella Frosting

Often times when I crave cookies, by the time I actually make the cookies, Im so you are so full of the cookie dough I dont want the cookie itself anymore. Like wise, when making the Nutella cupcakes I ate so much Nutella I could even push myself to eat one cupcake and had to leave it for the next day.
 The recipe I used for the homemade butter cream frosting included the following:

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• ⅔ cup Nutella or other chocolate-hazelnut spread
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Pinch kosher salt (up to ¼ teaspoon, to taste)
• 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Instructions

1. In a stand mixer a fixed with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and powdered sugar on low until well-blended. Add the Nutella and increase the speed to medium. Beat for two minutes.
2. Add the vanilla extract and salt and whip for an additional 30 seconds.
3. Add the whipping cream and beat for about one minute, until the frosting lightens slightly in both color and texture.
   
   

I did not like the frosting as much as I though I would because you could barely taste the Nutella, but you could taste the powdered sugar and the butter very strongly.
The appearance was a light brown color, like a soft creamy tan and very fluffy

The texture of the butter cream was very fluffy and smooth

The aroma consisted of a strong butter and confectioners sugar with a hint of the chocolate hazelnut smell,

Something I forgot to do before making my frosting was read through the recipe so I completely forgot about timing the stuff and accidently beat step 2 for 2 minutes instead of 30 seconds, I do not think that it made too much of an impact on my frosting because it still had the right texture / volume at the end. Based on what I know, The most important step that would have caused me overcream my buttercream would have been step one

For the actual cupcakes I used the following recipe:

Ingredients
Cupcakes:
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup hot water
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup shortening
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
Frosting:
8 cups confectioners' sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk
Food coloring, for decorating
Sprinkles, for decorating

Directions
For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a measuring cup, mix together the milk and vinegar to make sour milk. In a large bowl, add the cocoa powder and hot water and mix together with an electric hand mixer. Add the soured milk, granulated sugar, shortening, vanilla extract and eggs, and mix together. Next, add the flour and baking soda and mix until all the ingredients are incorporated.

Place cupcake liners into a cupcake pan and fill each halfway with batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 15 to 18 minutes. Cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes.

For the frosting: Whip 4 cups of the confectioners' sugar, the butter and vanilla extract with an electric hand mixer until smooth, while slowly adding the milk.

Add food coloring to achieve desired color and the remaining 4 cups confectioners' sugar.

Frost the cupcakes and top with sprinkles

 

They looked like normal cupcakes with a little bump, and brown. As for the texture they were soft, airy and fluffy, but according to myself, the cupcakes were kind of dry to taste. I was going for moist, crumbly, sticker cupcakes but they ended up being a bit more dry than I wanted to. I am not sure if it was the recipe or not but I think that i left them in the oven for a minute too long because every time I stuck the toothpick in a cupcake it came out with batter so I kept adding on time until I think I overcooked them and let out too much moisture from the batter. To me, they also had a funky after taste, almost like there was too much baking soda but i measured it out correctly so i am wondering if it was the effect of the vinegar with milk. Other than that, the coca flavor was just right and pleasantly melted in the mouth
After I topped them with frosting and added colorful sprinkles they were very appealing to the eye because of the bright colors of the sprinkles.

Overall my friends thought they tasted great, but I felt like the frosting was a little over-powering for the cupcake itself. If i were to make these again I would add in more Nutella for a stronger taste in the frosting and try out a different recipe for the batter to find something more moist. 

"Fabulous" Chocolate Chip Cookies by Bridget Thomas

"Fabulous" Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes 3 dozen

 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup white sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

2eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/3 cup candy-coated chocolate pieces

1/3 cup peanut butter chips

2 teaspoons honey

1 pinch ground cinnamon

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar. Beat in the eggs, vanilla and honey. Stir in the dry ingredients, then fold in the chocolate chips, chocolate candies, peanut butter chips and nuts. Drop dough by teaspoons onto an unprepared cookie sheet.

3. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes in the preheated oven, until the cookies are golden around the edges. Remove from the baking sheet to cool on wire racks.

 

I made these cookies for my friend's birthday and they were amazing! I have made many types and variations of chocolate chip cookies but nothing like this. These cookies had peanut butter chips (which I didn't use) and M&Ms which I haven't made in cookies. I modified the recipe because I did not want to find the peanut butter chips and we did not have walnuts. Aside from that, the cookies, while baking, spread out and looked kind of like they were burnt around the edges but they were perfectly chewy and not so moist that it is oily but it wasn't dry. It was just right. I followed the recipe to the tee. They came out amazing and the dough wasn't too bad either! The cookies were really good and they get rave reviews from everyone! I'm so glad I made them. They were just right and hit the spot.

Rainbow Cupcakes & Homemade Frosting-May Blog

Recipe:
2 & 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
1/4 tsp. salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
3/4 cup milk
2 eggs
1 & 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Frosting:
1 Tablespoon water
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

I was at a friend's house and we decided to make cupcakes. Her mom loves to bake so she had a recipe for the cupcakes and frosting along with all of the correct ingredients in her house. For these cupcakes, we used the muffin method so we began by mixing all of the dry ingredients together. We combined the milk, butter, eggs, and vanilla together and then the mixture to the dry ingredients. We whisked all of the ingredients together until it was smooth. However, the batter was extremely thick and similar to the texture of yogurt so we slowly stirred in water until it was a thinner combination. I think this happened because we didn't sift the flour before measuring and adding it to the bowl. We separated the batter into 5 cereal bowls and mixed in a different color of food coloring into each one. Instead of bigger cupcakes, we made miniature ones so they cooked a little faster. We put a little of each batter into each muffin tin in the pan. This was the part that took the longest but they turned out looking very cool. After baking in the oven for 12 minutes at 375 degrees, we let them cool and made the frosting by beating the ingredients together until the mixture was light and fluffy. It tasted very sweet and sugary but it made the cupcakes have a perfect combination of creamy and sweet. The cupcakes were very tender and moist, but also very crumbly. They were extremely crumbly because of the cake flour, but the smell and taste were very inviting.