Cake Explorations

So it's been goodbye Portland nad hello again Connecticut. And I'm not that happy about it, though not as unhappy as I expected (despite hte fact that my door blew shut one time a couple weeks ago; leaving me in my room for a few hours, and the fact that I can't go as I please; I don't think there is even a bus running through Niantic) Days on the beach and daily swinms in hte bay have been nice, but I definitely miss the diversity, the hustle and bustle, and the easy-to navigate streets of Portland; going whereever, whenever I wanted!

So, in an effort ot relive a little of portland, I decided to make my Mom's favorite cupcake- at least of the ones we sold at the bakeshop- Mocha. But I couldn't just leave them plain, of course, I had to add my own little flair. A little mroe punch, some great Oregon coffee, and salted caraeml. Yum!

Well, at least I htink they were yummy. I didn't get to have one because they're not vegan. But then smelled great and the caramel was tasty (its vegan... shhh!) And the ones I saved for my family are half gone so, that's always a good sign.

So with the summer heat kicking in and everyone wishing for a great, sweet treat, here's a different way ot have you caramel frappochino and eat it too! Sorry, the recipe is a secret, for now!

But, if you are a baking nut like me, I'm sure you can't wait to get into the kitchen and bake something, so here's some more inspiration! Get yourself a copy of Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston's Flour Bakery + Cafe by Joanne Chang.

Got the book? Ok, now find the recipe for "Vegan, Low-fat Chocolate Cake".

What? You're not vegan? You're not dieting? I don't care, cause i'm sure you know someone who is. And I'm also sure that if you don't tell anyone it's vegan, they won't care or notice a difference. I mean whoever created this recipe was some kind of genius. No egg replacer required!

So, now whip yourself up a triple batch - that's enoug for 2 9" pans (that's the only flaw with this recipe- apparently Flour Bakery has a much smaller appetite than me- Joanne's version only makes one 6" cake).

When the cake are baked and cooled, remove from pans and prpeare to frost. i frosted mine with raspberry jam and a bit of vegan ganache. Then I put the other layer on (please remember ot flip it upside down if you're not going to level off the top; it makes frosting a lot easier; trust me!) And frosted with a creamy vegan chocolate frosting (sorry, that's a secret too, a happy mouse-making accident that too many people love for me to share- I do have a bakery in the works after all!). Of course, just about any frosting would work on this cake- vegan or not!

Now serve it at your favorite Bunco Night nad let everyone ooh and ah and compliment on that "long hours of hard work" it took you to make this!

Actually, maybe you should make a 4x recipe so you have a bit leftover.......

Cause then you can make cake balls!!!!!!! Or should I say cake truffles!

But of course I didn't have any leftover cake- I was going to eat all the leftovers thank you very much!
So I whipped out another 1.5 recipes of this delicous cake batter, poured it into a parchment-lined half-sheet pan, and let it bake for 25 minutes. Like magic!

Once cooled, I crumbled the cake (yes, I'm sorry, you do have to destroy all the moist layers- this is probably why you should use leftover cake- but I don't think I could ever have enough cause I would jsut snack on hte scraps). Anyway, once you have the entire cake crumpled into fine crumbs in a large bowl, add a small amount (1/2 to 3/4 cup) frosting and mush with your hands until the frosting is evenly distributed and teh crumbs comes together like a dough.

Form into balls (mine were the size  of  small plums and the recipe made about 25) and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet.

Let the balls sit a bit, then dipped in melted (preferably tempered) chocolate. Make sure you have enough- I was using a big bowl with only about 8 or 9 ounces of chocolate in it, and it was hard to get an even coat. I coated mine with the help of a fork (don't stick the fork into the cake ball, just use the flat part of it to help roll the ball around and pick it up once it coated. You should also tap off some of the excess chocolate while the ball is still on the fork. Sprinkle the top of each ball with chocolate sprinkles- or whatever you like. Serve on a decorative platter, and surprise everyone!

Luscious Love and a Lazy Morning

If there's one thing I've learned over the past few months, it's that i am definitely not ready to jump into the workforce. While I still can't see myself being anything but a baker, there's still plenty to wish for in the pastry world. Why can't people appreciate the time, thought and overall energy that goes into a single baked good. Baking is definitely not as fun in a bakery as it is at home- where you can take as much time to indulge in the process and experiment with ingredients as you like. What it all comes down to is that working in a bakeshop is stressful and, unfortunately, does not allow for much creativity.

And that is why days off are a saving grace. And yet they are never enough.

So, I decided to give myself a real break today. As usual, there was lots of cleaning to do (another reality check of this 5 month Portland excursion- keeping up my own apartment). But, as usual I put it off. Despite the nagging in the back of my brain, I stayed in pajamas until 1 pm. Yes, I said 1 pm. Why? I have no idea, and it bothered me. And yet, it was great.

Oh and did I mention the great breakfast I made?

I might not have started cleaning until around 2 pm, or went grocery shopping until 5, or made use of the day that has now put several less hours between me and my return to work, but at least I made use of one of the thousands of delicious ideas that are bursting in my head. Cherry Almond French Toast. Yes, vegan French Toast. Thanks to the newly discovered wonders of EnerG Egg, which is one idea that I wish I'd come up with myself!

Speaking of ideas, can someone please  buy me a food truck so I can put these ideas into real products so they don't burst my brain into a thousand pieces? Cooking for one just doesn't do the trick! Oh and a driver would be good too. Thanks- I'm not a Portland girl for nothing!

And now to the yumminess.


Vegan French Toast for One

1 1/2 tsp. EnerG Egg Replacer
2 tbsp. warm water
1/2 cup soy milk
1/4 tsp. almond extract, or to taste (I just streamed some in)
1 tbsp. brown sugar (or however much you feel like putting)
4 (1/2" thick) slices bread (any bread will do, mine was homemade)

Spray a large fry pan with non-stick spray. Heat over medium heat.
Combine all ingredients except the bread in a shallow bowl. Dredge the bread, one slice at a time, turning the slices to fully soak them. The softer the bread, the less soaking time it will need (sandwich bread needs only a quick dredge, while sourdough will need to soak for several minutes.
Place the bread slices in the hot pan, arranging them to fit as many pieces (in a single layer) as possible. Don't move the slices for a few moments once they are settled in the pan.
After 2-3 minutes, check the brownness of bottom side of the toast. If golden, flip and cook 2-3 more minutes. Remove onto a serving plate and keep warm. Keep the pan hot to cook the sauce.

Bursting Cherry Sauce

Put about 1/2 cup frozen cherries in a bowl. Sprinkle with 1-2 tablespoons granulated sugar, then toss to coat all cherries fully in sugar.
Pour cherries into the hot pan that you cooked the toast in. They should be in an even layer and should sizzle as they hit the pan. Let the cherries cook for a minute or so, they gently toss or stir them to heat on the other side. With your spoon, squash the cherries slightly to let out some of the juices. Cook until cherries are softened to your liking. Pour over the French toast, then serve.

Whether you were out of ingredients (most importantly maple syrup), feeling lazy or self indulgent, craving a taste of home, or all of the above (me), this will be just the thing any sweet tooth needs!

And to continue your day of vegan comfort food, head on over to Pastelitos for Amy's African Peanut Soup!

Cake That's Worth It

It's 2 Days before i turn 19 and 4 dyas before my "new life"  begins in Oregon. So why have I spent the last 6 hours baking and not pakcing? For one thing, it's nearly impossible for me to go a day without baking something. For another, i had a cake to bake for my grandma's birthday today.
Unfortunately,m today was the second time I made the vanilla cake layers. Lesson learned: no more double recipes!
I went for a flower theme; frosting the cupcakes in yello9w, lemony frosting (which unfortunately looks curdled, but it adds to the natural appeal), and the layer cake in rich, fudgy frosting.
I took it seriously; this is probably the last time I will make a cake at home, at least before i start making them in high production at Bliss Bakeshop. I even went all-out; with modeling chocolate roses that required some creativity to color. The only unfortunate thing is that I never made a ckae this good during my practical. But then, it's just as well; at least I know who gets to enjoy it this time.
Here's to my last weekend at home; last weekend of meat, and last weekend of being 18. A pretty good way to do it! Now, if only I would get an email from Scharfeen Berger...

Anticipation in Numbers

It's not easy being a pastry student. I'm not talking about the work, the stress, the exhaustion, though those can be tough too. I'm talking about all the food; the inspiration, the cravings, the antsy feeling you get at future opportunities, dreams and creations that are close to bursting your head open!

That's me right now. In three weeks, I'll be 19. In 21 days I'll be flying to Portland. In 28 days I'll be starting my internship in Portland. In 28 days I'll be starting a vegan adventure.

Whew! So you see why I might be a little jittery right now! On one hand; I'm ready for something new; something that is not sitting in a classroom and listening to lectures that have very little to do with my future; something that will teach me real-world techniques and get my body immersed in commercial baking. I'm excited to get a feel for living on my own and to hopefully start a regiment that might actually work to keep me healthy. Excited to explore a new city and be close to one of my bff's.

On the other hand there is all the "what if's"... need I say more?

And in the meantime, I have papers to write, plans to make, housing to find and so much hunger and longing in my mind.

My sweet tooth isn't helping!

Last weekend, I bought a great book, by the same author of a vegan cookie book I love, and have literally had to keep myself from flipping through every delicious page. Instead, I looked at the picture section and tried to remind myself that I plan to save it for the plane; the flight on which my new life will start. We'll see how long that lasts!

That leads me to this recipe; not one that I've created, since the kitchen I wanted has still not appeared inside my dorm room; but one by Isa and Terry, who wrote Veganomicon, my newest bookshelf addition.

If you're like me, you will want to run to your fridge and figure out what you can do to satisfy your sudden sweet craving!

Berry Creme Tart

Winter blues

I know. I haven't published in over a month. But, by now, I hope you know me; I like to blog when I have something to talk about. Or just because I want to have something to talk about.
The ladder is true today.
Here I am, in my 8 by 10 dorm room on a snowy Friday; with all my plans and aspirations blown away into the dancing flakes. I'm starting to get sick. Physically and... emotionally? No need to worry; just a cold and some New Englanditis. i'm so done with snow. On the one hand, I can't believe it's almost February of my sophomore year already. On the other hand; I can't wait to hop a plane to Oregon in like six weeks. Then I start feeling guilty that I'll be on the other side of the country from home for at least 3 months.
So, you might see why I'm a bit down in the dumps and questioning my every move.
Sometimes I'm afraid i'm growing up to fast.
But most of the time; I want to just get to opening that bakery I've been wanting since I was five.
I don't know.

To make things worse, I'm trying to recover my favorite recipes from memory; because i forgot to do what I tell everyone else to; backup my computer. It's a Mac; why should it ever fail? But, alas; one day it worked, and the next day- my hard drive was failing and my data inaccessible.

So, I'm sorry to tell you I don't have a new recipe for you. I'm spending my weekend trying to pry the recipes I entered into the Scharffen Berger Cupcake Adventure Contest, Saffron Velvet Cupcakes and Coconut Mocha Steamers; out of my brain stores. At least I have my basic recipes to work off of! And I have another new idea in the works. Cupcakes are good; but this might be better!

But, all that will have to wait for another time. Right now; I've got an internship to finalize and housing to find. But, it's sure good to get all my thoughts out there.

i'm always on the hunt for ideas; if you have recently tried a dessert you've loved; please tell me about it! You never know what kind of spin I'll put on it!