Happy Birthday, Hannah!

This was fun. I don't "do" cakes. Oh, I do bundt cakes with wonderful success, and in-the-pan cakes are good too. But fancy decorating? Never been my "thing". I admire beautifully decorated cakes. I've just never had the "yen" to make them. I always ordered birthday cakes from the local bakery. It was part of the birthday tradition.
Yesterday was Hannah's birthday. Since she bought me a Butterfly Cake pan, I assumed she wanted a Butterfly Cake. (Simple deduction skills at work.)
So, I found a cake recipe that I had used before http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Egg-Free-Dairy-Free-Nut-Free-Cake/Detail.aspx, looked up a couple of frosting recipes http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Caramel-Frosting-VI/Detail.aspx?prop31=2 and http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pudding-Icing/Detail.aspx?prop31=2 and decided to give it a go.

I greased and floured the pan. Suspecting that any "trouble" I might have in removing the cake from the pan would come from the lower wings and body, I concentrated my efforts there.

I sifted all the dry ingredients together.

And since it was a cake, I sifted them again.

Mixed all the wet ingredients in and then stirred in some chocolate chips.

Poured the batter in the pan and put it in the oven. The directions said 30 minutes, well, make that 45 minutes later, the cake was finally finished.

While the cake cooked, I made the Pudding Icing.

It did look funny while it cooked.

But I came out ok in the end.

I made the caramel frosting. And de-panned the cake.

Sadly, the lower wings came out fine, the upper wings. . . not so much. And in my haste to "save" my poor butterfly, I applied the caramel glaze too soon.

Awww, poor thing.

This is as good as it got.

We added candles and celebrated anyway!

Hannah made macaroni and cheese and John made garlic butter shrimp and informed us he wants to go to culinary school. His challenge is finding a culinary school that has a football team.

Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake

Late one night on the RE, I heard the distinct call of the Foodie. It went like this "OMG. . . CINNAMON ROLL CHEESECAKE>>>>>" inside there was a link. Three of us showed up (in short order, I might add) DeborahB (miss you Deb) who said I'd recognize that foodie yell anywhere. Avon who said That sounds like something sexual for your mouth. And me, seldom am I at a lose for words but I only said Saved! Actually, I saved and printed. Let me tell ya, this is the best breakfast I ever had. I feel like a kid who has gotten away with something BAD. Onward to the recipe!

Cinnamon Roll Batter:
2/3 c white sugar
1/4 c unsalted butter (at room temp)
1 egg (at room temp)
1/2 c. half and half
1 TBSP vanilla extract
2 c. flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Cheesecake filling:
2 pkg (8 oz each) cream cheese (at room temp)
1 c sugar
1 TBSP vanilla extract
2 TBSP flour
3 eggs (at room temp)

Cinnamon Filling:
1/3 c butter, melted
1 c. brown sugar
3 TBSP cinnamon

Cream Cheese Frosting:
2 oz chream cheese (at room temp)
3 TBLS unsalted butter (at room temp)
2 tsp vanilla
1 c powdered sugar
(1 TBSP lemon juice, optional)

Preheat oven to 350.
Grease a 9 inch Springform pan.

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.

Using a mixer cream together the butter and sugar for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add egg, half and half and vanilla. Beat for another minute. Scrape down bowl.

Combine the sifted and creamed ingredients. Mix on low speed until throughly combined.



(Big thanks to John for helping with this pic)

Spread half of the batter onto the bottom of the Springform pan. It will be sticky and thick so spray your hands with baking spray and press down. It may be a thin layer, but trust me, it will rise up during baking.

Using a mixer (and a clean bowl) beat cream cheese and sugar for 2 mins on medium high speed. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition.

Add the vanilla and flour and beat for another minute.

Pour all of the cheesecake batter on top of the cinnamon roll batter in the prepared pan.

In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, cinnamon and brown sugar. Mix until thoroughly combined.

Drop spoonfuls of the cinnamon filling over the entire top of the cheesecake.

Take the rest of the base batter and drop spoonfuls over the entire top of the cheesecake. Once finished, take a knife to swirl the ingredients together. This is hard to do as the batter is pretty thick, just do what you can.

I hope you will forgive me for neglecting to include a picture of the recipe swirled with the knife. I forgot to pick up the camera after I layed down the knife.

Bake for 50-55 minutes, cake will be puffy and lightly browned. Let cool for 20 mins at room temperature and then cover and move to fridge for 4 hours (or so).

Make frosting. Using a mixer (and a clean bowl) beat the cream cheese and butter together. Add vanilla and powdered sugar, beat to desired consistency. (add lemon juice, if desired).

Here is the Masterpiece unveiled.

This was my Breakfast. . . nomnom!

Texas Egg Rolls

When Baking Nana shared her recipe for Texas Egg Rolls http://allrecipes.com/PersonalRecipe/62300152/Texas-Egg-Rolls/Detail.aspx I got excited. My kind of recipe, few ingredients, fast to prepare. After visiting three stores requesting wonton wrappers with no success, I determined if I was EVER going to get me a Texas Egg Roll, I would have to make my own wonton wrappers. So, using the Wonton Wrappers recipe http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Wonton-Wrappers/Detail.aspx I set out to do just that! I read all the reviews, and have been making my own tortillas for four months, whole wheat, flour and corn. I mixed up the wonton dough

and let it "rest" under a damp towel, while I prepared the peppers, cheese and a crab mixture for Hannah.

Jack cheese cut in strips

Then I rolled the wrappers out in a little bit of corn meal

To this size

Then placed the peppers and cheese on it

And rolled it up.

Rollin, rollin, rollin. . .

Here they are just before the oven. I lightly sprayed them with oil.

And here they are after they were baked.

Texas Egg Roll                                                              Cheesy Crab Egg Roll
Holy Guacamole these were good !!

I hope this means Spring is here.

Kitchen Update!

I am including a recipe. I made these today. The inspiration came from a recipe in Light & Tasty,  Dec/Jan 2008, but I have changed it, using all whole wheat flour.

Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls

Yields 12 large rolls

1 cup warm water (divided)
1 pkg. active dry yeast
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 c. molasses
1 egg
2 Tbls. Sunflower Oil (may use canola)
2 Tbls. toasted wheat germ
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cloves
3/4 tsp. Kosher salt
3  3/4 c. whole wheat flour

Filling:
2 Tbls. butter, softened
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1 T. cinnamon (or to taste, you may prefer less)

Icing:
5 oz. softened cream cheese
2 Tbl. softened butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Confectioners Sugar

Proof yeast in 1/2 c. warm water with sugar. It will get happy :).
Mix together remaining water, molasses, egg and oil. Add spices and wheat germ. Sprinkle with 1 c. flour and stir in yeast mixture. Add remaining flour 1/2 c. at a time, until it forms a ball. Knead 5-10 minutes, until smooth. Place in greased bowl, turn to cover top with oil, allow to rise until double (about an hour). Punch down dough, and dump on floured counter top down. Sprinkle with flour and smooth over, allow to rest 10 mins. Gently stretch dough into 12 x 12 square. Spread with softened butter, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture. (May also add raisins and/or nuts at this point, to taste). Roll up jelly-roll style, pinch seam to seal. Cut into 12 pieces, place in prepared pan. (I used a jelly roll pan, lined with parchment paper. Could use greased 9 x 13 baking dish.) Cover and let rise until nearly doubled (30-40 mins.) Bake at 375 degrees 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.
Icing: Stir together butter, cream cheese and vanilla, add confectioners sugar to desired consistency.
Frost with icing or brush with butter and dust with confectioners sugar, as you wish. Would also be good brushed with honey butter while still warm.

Dough filled, cut, placed in pan and ready for second rise.

Ready for the oven.

A Star Is Born.

These are a few of the things I've crocheted, while I (suffer) through quitting smoking.

I'm working on a purple one right now.

I've given away 6 of them.

I do them when I'm waiting, or watching a movie. Busy hands. :)

.

Valentines Day 2010

Our house is full of sweets. Yesterday was my birthday so Hannah made me a cake.

I had decided awhile ago to make the Hugs and Kisses Brownie for Valentines Day.http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Hugs-N-Kisses-Brownie/Detail.aspx

I made a Ghiradelli Double Chocolate Brownie mix, to which I added 3/4 c. Special Dark chips.

When the brownie came out of the oven, a tiny piece of the edge stuck to the pan. No matter, thought I.

I will just place the Hugs and Kisses strategically.

So I did.

On the hot brownie.

These are the Hugs and Kisses I used.

The Kisses are Cookies and Cream Kisses.

The Hugs are regular Hugs.

This is what it looked like after the melty Hugs and Kisses were smeared all over the brownie.

I'm not certain this is what I had in mind, but Hannah and John sure had fun with it.

This is Hannah and John. I'm vertically challenged next to these two. Hannah is 6 ft. tall. John is 17.

While we played around in the kitchen, with food and cameras, the dogs pursued their own ends.

We caught Ripple texting and playing video games.

And Rosie was getting ready to go out in the cold.

So, all is right with the world and I have to do dishes.

Happy Valentines Day!!