100

Today is my 100th post! I know I’ve been slacking for the past few weeks, but its been (as usual) crazy busy for us. We have so many exciting things going on right now with the business that blogging has been on the back burner. I’ll be back on the blogwagon soon, as the South Florida wedding season is almost at an end.

Anyway, this Daring Baker challenge, Cheesecake Pops, was so much fun to make. It was hosted by Deborah from Taste and Tell and Elle of Feeding My Enthusiasms, and you can find the recipe at either of their blogs. It really turned out fabulously… creamy dreamy cheesecake enrobed with chocolate… on a stick! It just doesn’t get any better than that! I had really only one minor issue with the recipe… the cheesecake was very soft. I followed the recipe, and actually baked it about 20-30 minutes longer than it called for. We were supposed to scoop it into balls, but it just didn’t work for me. Then I started to think about enrobing the misshapen balls with chocolate and had an awful image of poop on a stick. :P
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April 27, 2008 | Filed Under Bakery, Daring Bakers, Sweet Tooth

61 Critiques 

Passion Nut?

Its time again for another Daring Baker post! This is an especially fun one, as there was quite a bit of leeway in the flavoring and decorating. So expect to see many many fancy layer cakes in the blogosphere today! The hostess this month was Morven from Food Art and Random Thoughts, and the recipe is from Dorie Greenspan’s Baking from My Home to Yours. You can find the recipe here.

When I saw the crazy amount of egg whites used in the cake and butter cream, I immediately knew I would fill the cake with some sort of curd. What better way to use up those yolks? Instead of the usual lemon, I chose to make passion fruit curd. I haven’t made curd with passion fruit before, so it was a bit of an experiment. Can we say yummy? I basically replaced the lemon juice with passion fruit puree in a basic lemon curd recipe. Easy peasy…

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March 30, 2008 | Filed Under Bakery, Daring Bakers, Sweet Tooth

55 Critiques 

Great Balls ‘O Dough

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This Daring Baker challenge was a wonderful one! I was seriously hoping it wasn’t a sweet one, as I’m still battling the last few holiday pounds. Our lovely hostesses, Breadchick Mary of Sour Dough and Sara of I Like to Cook chose bread… and just happened to pick my most favorite, French Bread. It just so happens to be one of my favorite chefs too, Julia Child. So from the beginning, I was doubly excited about the challenge. I followed the recipe to the letter, and chose to do Petit Pains (or boules?) instead of baguettes, as I just made baguettes a few months ago.

The recipe came along very nicely, but did take about 8 hours to complete in one day. Next time, I would probably try to stretch this to two days, and retard the dough overnight in the refrigerator. I started very early in the morning, and since I’m such a darn good wife, I actually kneaded the bread by had to avoid waking my sleeping husband with my loud mixer. I should be sainted, right? I haven’t made bread by hand in over 8 years, as I always use my Kitchenaid mixer. It was surprisingly calming to stand in my pajamas, kneading the dough while drinking my morning coffee. Quite peaceful. However, next time… I’ll continue using the mixer!
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February 29, 2008 | Filed Under Bakery, Daring Bakers

37 Critiques 

Ooooh, What a Tart!

My second Daring Baker challenge was Lemon Meringue Pie. Jen from The Canadian Baker was the host this month, and the recipe came from Wanda’s Pie in the Sky by Wanda Beaver. I decided to do individual tartletts, as I much prefer plating desserts with tartletts than pie or tart slices.

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January 28, 2008 | Filed Under Bakery, Daring Bakers, Sweet Tooth

48 Critiques 

What Rolls Down Stairs, Alone or in Pairs?

ITS LOG LOG LOG! I’m going to assume that 99% of you have no idea what I’m referring to. It’s Ren & Stimpy, people! :)
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Anyway, now that I’ve had my silly little trip down memory lane, lets discuss my Buche de Noel or Yule Log… This is my very first challenge with the DARING BAKERS, which I’m so excited to be a part of! What a fabulous challenge to start with too. This challenge was hosted by Ivonne, Cream Puffs in Venice and Lis, La Mia Cucina, who are the founders of The Daring Bakers.
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December 22, 2007 | Filed Under Daring Bakers, Sweet Tooth

30 Critiques