Mini Wild Blueberry and Cream Cheese Trifles

May seems to be flying by and I can’t believe I missed my one year blog anniversary!   One year ago on Mother’s Day I started this crazy adventure and somehow wrangled my husband into doing the pictures for me.

I had no idea what blogging would entail.   No really, I had NO idea what I was doing.  Photography?  Food styling? I’m just a girl who loves to bake yummy things and share them with others.  And I still have a lot to learn.

The world is such a small place for bloggers and foodies alike.  I can’t believe the mail I’ve received from people who live in some pretty amazing places.  I love to hear from you!  I love to receive all of your questions and comments.   There are actually more people than just me who think frosting should be added as the 5th food group.

Who knew!

I have learned so much from you too.  I am constantly amazed by the other sites I visit.  Some of you have been a real inspiration to me!  Let’s see where this road takes us, shall we?  I’m excited to see what the next year brings.

*make these in disposable cups for easy clean-up!

*recipe adapted from My Baking Addiction

•  5 slices of ready made pound cake cut into small cubes
• 250 g cream cheese softened
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 lemon zested
• 1/4 cup sugar
• wild blueberry sauce – I used about 1 1/2 cups of my homemade Wild Blueberry and Lemon Preserves (here)

1.  Whip cream cheese, vanilla, cream, lemon zest and sugar in a small bowl until soft peaks form.

2.  I layered the cream cheese whip, pound cake and blueberry sauce in disposable plastic wine cups.  Yield 7 dessert cups.

Enjoy!

Hot Milk Cupcakes

I’m almost embarrassed to be telling you what kind of cupcakes I made.  I looked back on my previous posts and realized the last few have all been lemon flavoured.

Must be spring.  Must be related to my hopes for some warm sunny weather and spring blossoms.  I’m ready for it.

It seems to be taking its sweet time.

It really doesn’t matter what the flavour of icing is for these cupcakes, the cake is the real star here.   This is a recipe for old-fashioned Hot Milk Cake.    The texture is similar to a sponge cake, but not quite as dense and much more moist.  Just as it sounds, it’s the addition of a hot milk mixture right at the end of the recipe that makes these  so wonderful.  I added a vanilla bean to the milk as it was heating.  It gives it a little extra sweetness.

Can you see my cake looking on in the distance?  It has a creamy lemon curd filling and just a swirl of lemon buttercream on top.  I had enough batter for 20 cupcakes and a 6 inch cake.

I couldn’t resist the sugar dogwood for decoration.  This cupcake here, is the one I have received the most emails and comments about.  Ever.  It’s just gorgeous.  These are a smaller version of the dogwood that I purchased on-line.   The simple addition of a blossom can take a little cake to a whole new level.

Wouldn’t these be gorgeous in a big beautiful bakery box for mom on Mother’s Day?

*adapted from Taste of Home

• 4 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• one vanilla bean split and scraped
• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• pinch of kosher salt
• 1-1/4 cups whole milk
• 10 tablespoons butter, room temperature, cubed

1.  In a large bowl, beat eggs on high-speed for 5 minutes (don’t skimp on this step!) until thick and lemon-colored. Gradually add sugar, beating until mixture is light and fluffy and increased in volume. Beat in vanilla. Combine flour, salt and baking powder; gradually add to batter just until combined.

2. In a small saucepan, heat milk, vanilla bean, seeds and butter just until butter is melted and mixture begins to bubble slightly at the side of the pan. Remove vanilla bean.  Gradually add milk to batter, a few tablespoons at a time; beat just until combined

3.  Pour into greased and floured 6 inch pan and 20 lined muffin cups.  You can also use a 9 x 13 pan.  Bake at 350 degrees until cake springs back when touched.   For the 6 inch pan approx 30 minutes, cupcakes approx 17 minutes and 9 x 13 pan approx 40 minutes.

4.  Top with icing, berries and cream or dust lightly with powdered sugar.  Enjoy.

Lemon Lime Breakfast Rolls

I have to apologize right up front for the lack of photo’s here.  These fresh and warm Lemon Lime Breakfast Rolls were eaten up pretty fast!

Remember here, when I made my Glazed Apple Cinnamon Buns?  Serious ooey goey business and so yummy on a lazy week-end morning.  These are the same idea, I used the same dough recipe but I added a tangy lemon/lime mix just before rolling them up.

These were a huge hit on a cold and dreary spring morning.  There is nothing better than taking warm bread out of the oven on a cold day.  It fills the whole house with the most amazing smell.  The beauty of these kind of breakfast treats is that they can be made well ahead of time and frozen before the second rise.  Just pop these in the oven when you wake up!

I topped these with a simple Cream Cheese Glaze while they were still warm.  When the whole week is spent waking with the dreaded sound of an alarm clock, I relish the days when I can wake up on my own time with a pot of strong coffee and some breakfast pastries.  Right off the bat I know this is going to be a good day.

On another quick note, I just wanted to share with you that this week-end my family participated in the annual Multiple Sclerosis Supercities Walk.  It’s a charity near and dear to my heart.  My daughter and I baked up some goodies for their cake table this year.  What an honour for us!

Enjoy!

Make the same dough recipe that I used here and follow the same directions for the rolls.

Lemon Lime Filling

Note: this is enough filling for one batch of lemon lime rolls.  The dough yields enough for two batches.

• 6 lemons zested
• 2 limes zested
• 1 cup white sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature

1.  Put the lemon and lime zest in a bowl with the white sugar and mix with your fingers coating the zest with the sugar.  This will release an amazing citrus smell!

2.  The dough recipe will give you enough for two batches of rolls. One for now and one to freeze! Roll out one half, on a lightly floured surface. Make a rectangle, about 10 x 8 inches, with the long end facing you. Spread rectangle with butter and top with the zest mixture.

3.  Start at the long end farthest from you, and begin to roll the dough into one long tube. Cut the tube into 12 even portions and place side by side in a greased 13 x 9 pan.

4.  Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 25 minutes. Remove from oven, invert on a plate if you wish, and drizzle glaze on top.

Cream Cheese Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 3 0z cream cheese at room temperature
• 2 tbsp lemon juice

1.  Whisk all ingredients together and continue to add lemon juice until you reach the glaze consistency you desire.  Spread on warm rolls.

Spring Cupcakes and a Symbol of Hope

I always eagerly await the first signs of spring.  Bright and cheerful bursts of tulips and daffodils are a welcome sight after a cold, bland winter.   They invigorate us and announce to us that spring has sprung!

Thank you for arriving spring I am so ready for you!  I’m ready for open windows, bed sheets on the clothesline, sitting in the sun and drinks on the patio!

I thought these cupcakes would be the perfect fit for our Easter table.  Beautiful sunny yellows amid pops of white, blue and pink colours.

It’s doesn’t hurt when your pops of colour are candy coated and full of milk chocolate either.  Another wonderful sign of spring. Easter chocolate.

Remember here when I made lime cupcakes with Tequila frosting?  These are identical, just substitute the lime for lemon.  Omit the step of brushing on the Tequila.   Swirl on a generous amount of Lemon Swiss Meringue Buttercream (below).  These  are keeper lemon cupcakes.  Really moist with a good hit of lemon followed by, you guessed it, the creamiest lemony Swiss Meringue icing.

Did you know April is also Daffodil Month for the Canadian and American Cancer Society? Daffodils are a symbol of hope for those living with cancer.  Unfortunately everyone has a cancer story.  All of the monies raised from the Daffodil Campaign go to life saving cancer research.

I hope this spring leaves you feeling rejuvenated.  I hope spring has sprung where you live!  Happy Easter everyone.

Lemon Swiss Meringue Buttercream

• 5 egg whites
• 1 cup + 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 3/4 cups of unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 tsp pure vanilla
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup lemon curd or lemon pie filling (or more to taste)

1. Fill a saucepan (large enough to fit your mixing bowl just a few inches) with two inches of water. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce heat to med-low so water continues to simmer.

2. In your stand mixer bowl, hand whisk the egg whites and the sugar just until combined. Place over simmering pot and whisk for approx 4 mins until the egg whites are hot (about 150 degrees). The sugar should be dissolved by this time as well. Place bowl on stand mixer and attach the whisk attachment. Whisk on medium speed until whites have increased in volume, are thick and glossy and the outside of the bowl is just slightly warm to the touch (this can take up to 10 minutes!).

3. Remove whisk attachment and replace with paddle attachment. Beat on low-speed until mixture is completely cooled. Increase speed to medium and add butter pieces one at a time. Scrape the bowl and continue to beat until buttercream is glossy, smooth and thick. It may separate at first, but continue beating and it will emulsify. Add vanilla flavouring, a pinch of salt and lemon curd and beat until combined. Use immediately.

Decadent Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball

I could not imagine my life without my little girl.  For many reasons.  She has grown into such a great young lady and she’s so bright and beautiful to boot (*ahem* you know..the whole apple falling from the tree thing?..)

She has been so great about being my right hand man when I need her to help me out at work.  She doesn’t complain about the early wake up call or the loads and loads of dishes that need to be done.  She’ll sit and colour oodles of fondant for me without batting a pretty little eyelash.

She’s pretty great.

And I don’t thank her enough.

Today I thought I would make her one of her most favourite treats.  It’s so simple but so incredibly addicting.  A sweet cream cheese ball with chocolate bits mixed in and rolled in Skor bits.  Slather it over a chocolate cracker or spread it on berries and you’ll be in love.  You cannot put this stuff down.   It is that good.  Imagine a spreadable cheesecake.

Ten whole minutes to put it together, seriously.  This is easily one of the fastest things you could throw together if company was coming.  Better yet, put it on your Easter buffet table.  Your guests will thank you!

Enjoy O and thank you.

*adapted from Kraft Canada

Note: you could easily half this recipe as it makes a rather large cheese ball.

•  2 pkg. (250 g each) Brick Cream Cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp.vanilla bean paste
• 1/4 cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup of Skor Bits

1. Combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in a small bowl.  Beat until well incorporated.   Mix in mini chips.  Place the cheese mixture on a large piece of plastic wrap and manipulate into a ball.  Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.  Just before serving roll into Skor bits.

Serve with chocolate crackers or fruit.

Homemade Hazelnut Irish Cream

I’m not an Irish Cream on the rocks kind of girl.

I love it in my morning coffee or as an after dinner dessert drink.

I especially love it in a creamy Swiss Meringue icing.  Gorgeously piled on top of a Guinness Dark Chocolate Cupcake.

Or in a Hazelnut Irish Cream and Chocolate Ice Cream.

Rich Callebaut chocolate chunks marbled throughout a creamy Irish Cream Ice Cream?  Yes Please!

Do you see a theme here?

I think Irish Cream lends a smooth and creamy flavour to many desserts without going overboard.  And, even better when it can be made in an instant.  Literally.  Five minutes of prep time and your guests will love you for it.

Tell me your favourite way to use Irish Cream.

Homemade Hazelnut Irish Cream Liquor

*adapted from allrecipes.com

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
•  1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz)
• 1 cup Irish Whiskey
• 1 tsp instant coffee
• 2 tbsp chocolate syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp hazelnut oil

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend on high for 30 seconds.  Store in a sealed container in the fridge.  Shake well before using.

Maple Apple Upside Down Cake

Maple Syrup season is beginning around here.  The maple trees are tapped for their maple sap in early spring when days are warm and nights are still freezing.

Maple Syrup has such a sweet smell and there’s nothing like eating the real thing.   Even better when it is soaked into a moist cake with apple slices on top.

We are fortunate to have a ‘sugar shack’ just a few miles down the road.   They have been producing some of Canada’s best syrup for many generations.

Remember here?  These Blueberry Cupcakes With Maple Buttercream also use the real thing and are one of my most requested cupcakes.

I found this delicious recipe on Cake, a wonderful blog full of party idea’s and recipes.   The recipe actually calls for pears but I used my favourite Granny Smith Apple.  The cake is so moist, with little ripples of maple syrup-y goodness throughout.

• 11 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
• 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 to 4 apples , peeled, cored and thinly sliced
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup whole milk

 Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Flour and butter a 9″ cake pan.

1.  Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a small pan over medium heat; add maple syrup and brown sugar and cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil and cook for another 2 minutes; remove from heat and set aside. When mixture has cooled a bit, pour it into baking pan and arrange apple slices in an overlapping circle on top.
2. Beat remaining 8 tablespoons butter and the sugar until light and fluffy.  Add vanilla and eggs, one egg at a time, beating until smooth. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Add flour mixture to butter mixture in three batches, alternating with milk; do not over mix. Carefully spread batter over apples, using a spatula to make sure it is evenly distributed. Bake until top of cake is golden brown and edges begin to pull away from sides of pan, about 45 to 50 minutes; a toothpick inserted into center should come out clean. Let cake cool for 5 minutes.
4. Carefully invert cake onto a cake plate or serving platter.  Be careful!  The topping is still hot!

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

Have a glass of milk handy for these yummy things.

This is a ‘need a sugar fix’, ‘dying for some cookie dough’, and  ‘want some comfort food’ kind of dessert all wrapped into one.  A dense and sweet Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcake with cookie dough baked right into the middle.

Why choose between cookie and cake when you can have both?   I’ve had this recipe bookmarked for quite some time and had the opportunity to use it this week-end.  It’s from the wonderfully written blog Kevin and Amanda .  The cookie dough has no eggs in it, so no worries about raw eggs sitting in your cupcakes!  Brilliant Amanda!

These tasted so fantastic just shortly after coming out of the oven.  Still a touch warm.  Like a warm cookie.

The key to these cupcakes is to freeze the cookie dough the night before so it doesn’t bake when you bake the cupcake.

Like these, see?

I used Brown Sugar Swiss Meringue Buttercream on top of mine.  It’s sweet but not overly sweet so goes well with the loaded cookie dough cake.  You can find the recipe for that here, but don’t include the rum syrup in the recipe.

Cookie Dough

1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
4 tbsp whole milk
1 tbsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup mini chocolate chips

1.  Combine the butter and sugars in a mixing bowl and cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.   Beat in milk and vanilla until incorporated and smooth. Mix in the flour and salt until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

2.  Using a small scoop, shape the dough into balls or tubes. Freeze on a parchment lined baking sheet overnight.

Cupcakes

1 1/2 c unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup whole milk, room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners .

1.    Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.   In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and brown sugar. Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.   Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating well and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.  Add the vanilla and mix well.

2.  Add the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl on low-speed, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, mixing each addition just until incorporated.

3.  Using an ice cream scoop, fill the prepared cupcake liners 2/3 full with the cupcake batter. Place a frozen cookie dough ball on the top center of each cupcake.  Bake at 350 for 16-18 mins.

Remove cupcakes to a wire rack to cool and if you haven’t eaten them all up, top them off with a swirl of Brown Sugar Swiss Meringue Buttercream.  Sprinkle with chocolate chips.

Enjoy!

Best Ever Banana Cake

Did you notice anything funny about my picture?

Nothing at all?

How about that I have a slice of cake and I have a whole cake showing?   That’s because I baked three of these beauties.  Two for us, and one for my mom who recently had surgery to repair a badly broken arm.

Well I just wouldn’t be me if I didn’t bring someone a piece of cake when they were on the mend….

Banana Cake is one hundred percent comfort food to me.  So moist and delicious with Cream Cheese Frosting.   That is’ lick the bowl clean’ frosting.  So delicious.   I always add some freshly grated nutmeg to my banana cake recipe.  I think it gives banana cakes and breads just a little kick of flavour.

And, I love making them in 6 inch pans.  I rarely make a cake that’s any larger anymore.  It’s the perfect size for a family treat and to give as a gift.

One of my favourite icing technique’s is “tomboy” style from the Miette Bakery in San Fransisco.  I think its’ very simple.  No icing on the sides, just on the layers and an elegant swirl on the top.

I hope my mom enjoys her treat and that her road to recovery is a piece of cake.

*adapted from Food.com 

Note: the recipe on Food.com recommends immediately putting the cake in the freezer after removing it from the oven.  I did not follow this step.

• 1 ½ cups bananas , mashed
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• generous pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• ¾ cup unsalted butter , room temperature
• 2 ¹⁄₈; cups sugar
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 ½ cups buttermilk, room temperature

Preheat oven to 275°.  Grease and flour 3 6 inch cake pans.  You can also make this in a 9 x 13 inch pan.

 

1.  In a small bowl, mix mashed banana with the lemon juice; set aside.  In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda , nutmeg and salt; set aside.

 

2.  In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs, one at a time, then add in 2 tsp vanilla.

 

3.  On low, add the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk.  Stir in banana mixture.

 

4.  Pour batter into prepared pans and bake in preheated oven for one hour and 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.   Unmold on to wire racks and cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting

*this makes just enough for two of the cakes

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 pound cream cheese softened
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 pound sifted powdered sugar

For the frosting, cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth.  Beat in the vanilla.  Add icing sugar and beat on low-speed just until combined.  Don’t overbeat.  Sprinkle chopped walnuts over top of the frosting, if desired.

 

 

 

Dogwood Flower Tutorial

Remember last week when I said I would post pictures of how I made my Dogwood Flower out of White Modelling Chocolate?

When you see how simple this really is, you won’t believe it!

First, make your modelling chocolate and let it sit for a day or so at room temperature.  The recipe can be found here.  Get all of your supplies ready.

Then roll out some White Modelling Chocolate and cut it out with your Dogwood Cutter.

Now, I have two different steps here, because not everyone owns a flower veiner.  I didn’t until just recently.  I used to use my little paint brush or a sucker stick or a toothpick to make vein impressions.

You can gently press the flower onto the veiner.

Or, you can use whatever tool you have handy to achieve similar results!

Place your formed flower in a little bowl that you have covered in foil.  This is an easy way to make a flower former for drying.

You can use your paintbrush to help you form the flower petals and give them some movement.

I am using just a tiny bit of brown and red dust, mixed together, to lightly brush the tips of the petals.   Can you see the cupcake in the distance?

I think it’s watching me.  Waiting for its turn….

I have some teeny chocolate balls, that I rolled, in a dish getting ready for centre stage.  I rolled them and then lightly dusted them with green lustre dust.

Here’s a little dollop of melted white chocolate that I am using for glue.

The little balls have been added to the centre of the flower.

It’s starting to take shape now!

The branches I made with dark modelling chocolate.  Remember here when I made my Dark Chocolate Roses?

Everyone is lined up, awaiting assembly.   I let mine dry for a full day on the counter before assembling.

This icing is a beautiful sage green Brown Sugar Swiss Meringue Buttercream.  Delicious!

Tah dah!  Finished product. 

How easy is that?  And so impressive.  And so yummy.