Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links!

Happy Day of the dead! Make some Pan de Muerto.

It's the day after Halloween. MAKE THIS.

In case you have any candy corn left.

This is another good idea.

Oh, and this too.

Tasty all fall long: how to make a Pumpkin Spice Latte at home.

Not cake, but something interesting I wrote: a primer on different cuts of beef.

Also not cake, but hey, I'm proud of it: how to cook spaghetti squash.

Wait. Clif Bar is building a bakery? Wonder if it will have a rock candy climbing wall.

Goodness I want it: pumpkin ice cream!

I also want to eat this: pumpkin cinnamon rolls.

How to stabilize whipped cream.

Bakery I wanna visit: The Model Bakery, St. Helena

Want to try this: two ingredient pumpkin cake.

I like this: white chocolate filled snickerdoodles.

Happy Halloween: Candy Corn Pecan Pie

If you've ever found yourself thinking "this pecan pie simply isn't sweet enough", here's a seasonal variation which is bound to make your dentist cringe: Candy Corn Pecan Pie.

Listen, I wish I could take credit for this idea. But it was the brilliant Rachel of Coconut & Lime who planted the seed in my head and who also (thank you!) gave her blessing for me to make this monstrous bit of Halloween magic happen.

The idea is simple: classic pecan pie, plus candy corn. The candy corn melts so beautifully into the corn syrup and brown sugar mixture that it must feel like it's coming home; it adds a nice, vanilla-y sweetness to the pie that will satisfy even the sweetest of tooths. In fact, it's so sweet that you may push your candy sack aside after a slice. So you see, it's the perfect food to enforce moderation!

Find the recipe on Serious Eats!

The Bake-Off is Coming: Creamy Fruit and Nut Cinnamon Roll Cups

Creamy Fruit and Nut Cinnamon Roll Cups

CakeSpy Note: OMG! The 46th Annual Pillsbury Bake-Off is coming! Since I so deeply loved attending the 45th Bake-Off, I thought I would get you excited early by sharing some of the finalists' recipes. Narrowed down from zillions of entries, I'll profile some of the 100 finalists--but of course, based on the subject matter of this site, I will focus on sweets! You can follow them by clicking the bakeoff tag below the post to see which ones have been posted so far. Enjoy! 

These cinnamon roll cups contain a mixture of fruit and nuts stuffed inside. You know what that means: HEALTH FOOD! And the best kind, because it's all wrapped up and delivered to your belly in a cinnamon roll and copious icing wrapped package. This fine contribution to the world of health food comes at you from Becky McKay of Boulder, Colorado.

Creamy Fruit and Nut Cinnamon Roll Cups

Prep Time: 15 Min Total Time: 35 Min Makes: 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup Apricot Preserves
  • 2 tablespoons golden raisins
  • 2 tablespoons sweetened dried cranberries
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped pecans
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 can Pillsbury refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing
  • 4 oz (half of 8-oz package) cream cheese, cut in 8 cubes

Procedure

  1. Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 8 regular-size muffin cups with No-Stick Cooking Spray. In medium bowl, mix preserves, golden raisins, dried cranberries, pecans and nutmeg until well blended. 
  2. Separate dough into 8 rolls; reserve icing. Place 1 roll, cinnamon side up, in each muffin cup; firmly press dough in bottom and up side of each cup. Spoon apricot mixture into each cup. Top each with cream cheese cube; press in lightly. 
  3. Bake 13 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove rolls from pan. 
  4. In small microwavable bowl, microwave icing on High 10 seconds. Drizzle over warm rolls.

The Bake-Off is Coming: Peanut Butter Caramel Sticky Rolls

Peanut butter caramel sticky rolls

CakeSpy Note: OMG! The 46th Annual Pillsbury Bake-Off is coming! Since I so deeply loved attending the 45th Bake-Off, I thought I would get you excited early by sharing some of the finalists' recipes. Narrowed down from zillions of entries, I'll profile some of the 100 finalists--but of course, based on the subject matter of this site, I will focus on sweets! You can follow them by clicking the bakeoff tag below the post to see which ones have been posted so far. Enjoy! 

Wendy Wiseman of Bella Vista, Arkansas is my new favorite person. Why? Because she's the one who dreamed up these decadently dreamy Peanut Butter Caramel Sticky Rolls. I have no doubt that sticky fingers are a problem around these rolls, not only because well, they're sticky, but also because people will want to steal an extra after they've had a taste! 

Here's how you make 'em.

Peanut Butter Caramel Sticky Rolls

Prep Time: 20 Min Total Time: 55 Min Makes: 12 servings

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup Caramel Flavored Topping
  • 1/4 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
  • 2 cans Pillsbury Crescent Recipe Creations refrigerated seamless dough sheet
  • 1/2 cup Chocolate Flavored Hazelnut Spread

Procedure

  1. Heat oven to 400°F. Place paper or foil baking cup in each of 12 regular-size muffin cups. Generously spray with No-Stick Cooking Spray.
  2. In small bowl, mix powdered sugar, caramel topping and peanut butter until blended. Unroll both cans of dough. Spread half of the caramel mixture evenly over each dough sheet to within 1/2-inch of edges. Starting on short side, roll up each dough sheet. Cut each roll crosswise into 6 pieces. Place cut sides up in muffin cups.
  3. Bake 12 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool 15 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, in small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate hazelnut spread on High 30 to 60 seconds. Drizzle over rolls.

 

Tipsy Tastiness: Margarita Jell-O Shot Cake Recipe

Today, I'm going to tell you about a business I really like. Don't worry, it involves cake. This cake.

Poke cake

Recently, I was contacted by a business called Butter & Scotch, the beautiful partnership of Keavy Blueher of Kumquat Cupcakery (aka Butter) and Allison Kave of First Prize Pies (definitely Scotch). They are soon-to-be (with the help of Kickstarter!) Brooklyn's first dessert & craft cocktail bar.

They've already raised most of the money, but they need a little help, so they asked if I could share the business on CakeSpy. "OK," I said, "but first, show me the cake." After all, how can I expect people to support a business if you have no idea what they do?

So, they put their cake where their mouth is (what?) and shared this wondrous recipe for a Margarita Jell-O Shot Cake. Yep, you heard that right.

Poke cake

As recipe designer Keavy writes, "This is such a silly cake and I totally love it! I was taste testing it all morning yesterday and I do believe I accidentally got a little drunk so be careful!" 

Sounds like a tipsy pleasure to me. If you enjoy this cake as much as I did, please consider helping Butter & Scotch via Kickstarter!

 

Poke cake

Margarita Jell-O Shot Cake

Vanilla cake (mine is below but you can use whatever recipe is your favorite.....or boxed!)

  • 1 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup cream cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 whole eggs
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 tbls vanilla
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 cups milk, heavy cream, or buttermilk

Boozy Lime leche!

  • Zest of 2 limes
  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1/2 cup tequila Fresh lime

Jell-O shot mix

  • 1 cup lime juice
  • Zest from 2 limes
  • 1/2 cup tequila
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 tbls gelatin
  • 1/2 cup sugar

Whipped cream topping

  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1/8 cup sugar
  • 1 tbls vanilla

Topping

  • Lime zest
  • Flaky sea salt

Procedure

  1. Make cake: preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Cream butter, cream cheese and sugar together on medium high speed. Add eggs and yokes and beat till incorporated. Add vanilla. Turn off mixer an mix together dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt. Turn mixer on to slowest speed and add the dry ingredients. Immediately after add milk or cream and let it all come together keeping it on slowest speed.
  3. Pour cake into a 9" square baking dish. Bake for 30-40 min or until toothpick comes out clean. While cake is baking make leche and jello.
  4. Leche: mix lime zest, tequila and condensed milk in a small bowl and set aside.
  5. Jello: add gelatin to cold tequila, lime juice, and zest and let bloom for 2-3 min. Heat water an sugar to almost a boil and mix with gelatin mix.
  6. Assemble it all: Once cake is out of the oven (no need to cool it) use a chopstick to poke it generously with holes all over and then pour the leche and jello over the top. Put in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours until cold.
  7. Make the whipped cream topping! Add heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla to a mixer and beat on high speed till cream forms stiff peaks. Spread onto cake and top with line zest and a sprinkling of flaky sea salt.

What's your favorite boozy dessert?

The Bake-Off is Coming: French Toast Waffles with Apple Cherry Topping

French Toast Waffles with Apple cherry topping

CakeSpy Note: OMG! The 46th Annual Pillsbury Bake-Off is coming! Since I so deeply loved attending the 45th Bake-Off, I thought I would get you excited early by sharing some of the finalists' recipes. Narrowed down from zillions of entries, I'll profile some of the 100 finalists--but of course, based on the subject matter of this site, I will focus on sweets! You can follow them by clicking the bakeoff tag below the post to see which ones have been posted so far. Enjoy! 

Got a waffle iron and a taste for something sweet? If so, these waffles could be in your mouth in just about 20 minutes. They beautifully marry French toast flavors with waffle-y texture, and the apple cherry topping doesn't hurt anything. It was dreamed up by Tiffany Aaron of Quitman, Arkansas, who will be at the Bake-Off next month.

French Toast Waffles with Apple Cherry Topping

Prep Time: 20 Min Total Time: 20 Min Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 can (21 oz.) apple pie filling
  • 1/4 cup Smucker's® Cherry Preserves
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 can Pillsbury® Place 'n Bake® refrigerated crescent rounds
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar

Procedure

  1. Heat waffle maker.
  2. In 1 1/2-quart saucepan, mix apple pie filling and cherry preserves. Cook over low heat until warm, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; keep warm.
  3. In shallow dish, beat eggs, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon and 1 tablespoon of the whipping cream with wire whisk until foamy.
  4. Separate dough into 8 rounds. Dip each round in egg mixture, coating well. Place 2 to 4 rounds in waffle maker; close lid. Cook 3 to 4 minutes or until crisp and golden brown. Repeat with remaining rounds.
  5. Meanwhile, in medium bowl, beat remaining whipping cream, remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and the brown sugar with electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form.
  6. To serve, spoon warm apple mixture over waffles; top with sweetened whipped cream.

The Bake-Off is Coming: Cinnamon Roll Cranberry Orange Pull Apart

Cinnamon Roll Cranberry Orange Pull Apart

CakeSpy Note: OMG! The 46th Annual Pillsbury Bake-Off is coming! Since I so deeply loved attending the 45th Bake-Off, I thought I would get you excited early by sharing some of the finalists' recipes. Narrowed down from zillions of entries, I'll profile some of the 100 finalists--but of course, based on the subject matter of this site, I will focus on sweets! You can follow them by clicking the bakeoff tag below the post to see which ones have been posted so far. Enjoy! 

What's for breakfast tomorrow? Um, here's an idea: Cinnamon Roll Cranberry Orange Pull Apart. It comes together in less than an hour (including baking and cooling!), making it an ideal treat for a lazy morning. This stellar recipe comes at you from Leah Stacey of Montgomery, Alabama, who is bound to make delicious waves at the Bake-Off!

Cinnamon Roll Cranberry Orange Pull Apart

Prep Time: 20 Min Total Time: 55 Min Makes: 12 servings

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries
  • 4 oz (half of 8-oz package) cream cheese, softened
  • 5 tablespoons Smucker's® Sweet Orange Marmalade
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
  • 1 can (12.4 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing (8 ct)
  • 1 can (7.3 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing (5 ct)

Procedure

  1. Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 12-cup fluted tube cake pan with Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray.
  2. In food processor, place cranberries. Cover; process until coarsely chopped. Add cream cheese and 4 tablespoons of the marmalade; process until well blended. Set aside.
  3. Pour 3 tablespoons of the butter in bottom of cake pan; sprinkle with pecans.
  4. Separate dough into 13 rolls; reserve icing. Place rolls on work surface, cinnamon side up. Flatten each roll to 3 1/2-inch round. Spoon about 1 tablespoonful of the cream cheese mixture on center of each round. Fold dough over filling; pinch edges to seal. Repeat with remaining rounds and filling.
  5. Dip filled rolls in remaining 3 tablespoons butter. Place rolls in pan, seam side up, overlapping slightly. Drizzle with any remaining butter.
  6. Bake 23 to 28 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan 2 minutes. Place heatproof serving plate upside down over pan; carefully turn plate and pan over. Remove pan. Cool 5 minutes.
  7. In small bowl, mix both cans of icing and remaining 1 tablespoon marmalade until blended; drizzle over cinnamon rolls.

 

How to Host a Chocolate and Beer Pairing Party

Choctoberfest – Host a Chocolate and Beer Pairing Party

Chocolate and beer pairing

Oktoberfest is in full swing. What better way to ring in the holiday season than by hosting a party that celebrates the flavors of fall? While you could go with a tried-and-true wine and cheese party, you can really wow your friends’ palates with the unique offerings of a beer and chocolate pairing party. While this may sound like a glutton’s fantasy, it is a real classy deal thanks to the shared taste vocabulary of craft brewers and confectioners. A beer and chocolate party features rich milk chocolate and velvety milk stouts, bitter dark chocolate, and the bitter hops of an IPA. Whether it’s for a Halloween party, birthday, anniversary, or Thanksgiving get-together, the flavors of the season – ginger, caramel, cinnamon, nutmeg, even pumpkin – are deeply infused in both the brewing and baking processes.

Make It Happen

You don’t have to be a connoisseur to pull off this perfect pairing. We’ve got you covered with helpful tips, tricks, and mouthwatering combinations. You can either let guests sample each beer and chocolate option individually or you can act as their tour guide on this culinary adventure. It’s fun to walk guests through pre-selected pairings and sit back as your friends praise you for opening their eyes to a slew of heavenly matches. We recommend choosing five to six different beers along with an assortment of chocolate types (bars, truffles, cakes, and barks). Small, 4-ounce tasting glasses are the best way to give everyone a good sample of each beer without over-indulging. Look beyond your garden variety chocolate and beer options. This is no time for Coors Light and Hershey bars. Make your beer and chocolate pairing party a memorable experience by introducing guests to lesser-known craft beers. Shari’s Berries has you covered on the chocolate front! Below are some tasty pairings to kick-start your taste buds.

Darks and Doppelbocks

Photo via Berries.com

Chocolate beer is not an entirely new concept, as craft breweries have been making cocoa-infused beers for a while. When it comes to dark beers, stouts and doppelbocks are recommended for pairing with desserts. The rich malty flavors in these beers are an ideal complement to the silky sweetness of chocolate. These dark beers are made to be richer and heartier than your average ale. After all, doppelbocks were originally brewed by German monks to help fill them up during times of fasting like Lent and Advent. A great doppelbock to start with is Ayinger’s Celebrator, a German brew that is infused with caramel, cinnamon, and nutmeg. The nutty flavors of this beer perfectly pair with the spice notes of Shari’s Handmade Pumpkin Truffles to produce a flavor combination that is sure to get you in the fall spirit. For an American twist on the doppelbock, try Samuel Adams’ Chocolate Bock, a seasonal brew that is aged on a bed of cocoa nibs to produce a rich, chocolatey texture with hints of vanilla and honey. The robust flavor of this beer complements the creaminess of milk and white chocolate truffles to make a drinkable dessert. Stout beers are stronger than porters and are often brewed by adding coffee or chocolate to balance roasted malt flavors. A perfectly balanced example is the Imperial Choklat Stout by Southern Tier Brewing Company. Made in upstate New York, this stout combines the bittersweet taste of dark chocolate with notes of sweet caramel for a flavor that is particularly recommended with mint truffles. The combination of the silky mint and heavier-bodied stout makes you feel like you’re drinking a milkshake.

Sweets and Bitters

Photo via Berries.comFor a change of pace, introduce some lighter beer varieties such as sweet and sour Belgian lambics and bitter and hoppy IPAs. Lambics are brewed with fruit to bring out a unique, sour flavor. Avoid lambics that simply add fruit syrup and stick to ones that allow time for the fruit to ferment and produce a genuine flavor. A great place to start is the Apricot Ale from Cascade Brewing, which introduces slow-ripened apricots to a beer that is then fermented for 16 months in oak barrels before finishing. The resulting sweet and sour flavor balances the decadence of a Flourless Chocolate Truffle Cake from Shari’s. A particularly sweet beer is Van Steenberge Brewery’s Cherish Raspberry Lambic that has a strong raspberry aroma and enough tartness to balance its sweetness. The strong fruit flavors match perfectly with fruit-filled chocolates or chocolate cups for a pairing that is satisfyingly sweet. Esquire calls Dogfish Head’s 90 Minute IPA “perhaps the best IPA in America.” The taste profile of this beer is a welcome addition to the sweet lambics and malty stouts. Continuously hopped for a bitter, citrusy taste, consider pairing this India Pale Ale with a dessert that is buttery and creamy. We recommend Shari’s Handmade Caramel Pretzel Bark, which has a layer of chewy caramel topped with milk chocolate and salty pretzel bits. It’ll have your guests hopping for joy.

A Match Made in Heaven

This pairing also makes a perfect gift for your favorite beer drinker. A truly divine combination is the Goose Island Bourbon County Stout with a rich chocolate cake. High in alcohol content and flavor, the Bourbon Stout infuses rich notes of vanilla, butterscotch and fudge with a warming bourbon aftertaste. With a perfect 100 rating by BeerAdvocate.com, this dark stout is a craft beer enthusiast’s delight and would surely make a special birthday gift. Whether it’s a girls’ night in, a boys’ weekend, or a couples’ occasion, a beer and chocolate pairing party is a unique opportunity to leave your friends with a memorable experience.

Remember to savor the flavor!

This pairing is all about pleasure, so allow you and your guests the time to enjoy the subtle intricacies that each combination has to offer. Let the chocolate melt in your mouth and mix with the flavors of the beer to bring out the best in each and produce a flavor combination that can’t be found anywhere else. Be sure to call a cab if the beer tasting lasts too long!

Note: This is a guest post

Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links!

Candy is Dandy: Candy Corn Milk Recipe

Candy corn milk

Some days, you're all "Oh, I love eating organic and stuff. Let's go to Whole Foods and get our gluten-free on!"

But other days, you're like "eff everything and everyone. All I feel like doing is mainlining some candy corn."

Candy corn

Okay, so maybe that exact thing has never happened to you. But it has happened to me. And there is no quicker or more enjoyable way to mainline that candy corn sugary goodness straight to your system than via candy corn milk. So in case you ever have felt this way, or ever do in the future, here's an extremely useful recipe for Candy Corn Milk to keep at the ready.

The idea formed in this way. At Momofuku, they've built a brand around what to many of us is a byproduct (albeit a delicious one): cereal milk. So I found myself thinking, when faced with half a bag of candy corn left over after I made a spectacular pie which will be featured soon on Serious Eats...

CakeSpy to self: "Why don't I make this into Candy Corn Milk?"

Self back to CakeSpy: "Fantastic idea! Let's do it!"

I treated the official Cereal Milk (tm) recipe as my North Star when creating this recipe. I didn't toast the candy corn (don't be stupid! It would melt!) but I did the steeping and straining as specified in the recipe. Then, I transferred the mixture to jars, so I could readily reach for candy corn milk any time I was feeling low. This stuff has enough sugar to give you pep even on the most Monday of Mondays, or any otherwise somewhat low energy or gloomy day. So it's a perfect fall food! 

Candy corn milk

If you're feeling naughty and know something about cocktails, I suppose it might make a nice addition to a Halloween drink. But I don't know so much, so I guess I will just drink it straight. If you were so inclined, I believe this recipe could rock your sugary world if you used it as your milk to put on cereal, or served it alongside a bowl of creamed candy corn.

Why don't you join me?

Candy Corn Milk - adapted from Momofuku's Cereal Milk (tm)

  • 1 cup candy corn
  • 2 cups cold milk
  • 1/8 tsp salt

Bowls, and a fine mesh seive or strainer, and jars or a jug to store the finished milk

Note: As with cereal milk (tm), taste your candy corn milk after you make it. if you want it a little sweeter, add some brown sugar. if you want it more mellow, add a splash of fresh milk and a pinch of salt.  

Place the candy corn in a bowl. Pour the milk right on top.

Let steep for 20 minutes at room temperature. The milk will start to change color.

Candy corn milk

Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, collecting the milk in a medium bowl. the milk will drain off quickly at first, then become thicker toward the end of the straining process. Candy corn milk Candy corn milk

Use the back of a spoon or spatula to get all the tasty thick gooey milk out. Don't be too forceful, because you don't want to jam the melty candy corn bits into your strainer (big pain to clean out).

Candy corn milk

Give it a whisk, adding the salt at this point. Store in a pitcher or in mason jars (that's what I did), refrigerated, for up to a week.

Candy corn milk

Note: this recipe also works with mellowcreme pumpkins. 

CakeSpy Undercover: Bread, Durango CO

Bread, Durango CO

When I recently went to Durango, Colorado, the first thing I did was ask about bakeries. And based on the popular opinion of the locals, the place to go was Bread. 

So...I went to Bread. And I am so glad I did. I liked them from the get-go, when I spied this outside:

Bread, Durango CO

I mean seriously, isn't that a great idea? Love it.

BREAD

I liked it even better, though, once I went inside. I have a theory that bakeries tend to be one of two styles: either a bread bakery, or a cake bakery. Bread bakeries tend shine when it comes to, well, bread, but also carbohydratey pastries, especially with laminated dough. So croissants, cinnamon rolls, morning buns...that kind of thing. Whereas cake bakeries tend to specialize in cupcakes, cookies, delicately crumbed pastries and sweets. 

Bread is, as you might have guessed, a bread bakery. And a good one at that. After all, the outdoorsy atmosphere of Durango definitely calls for some high-energy carbs.

Bread, Durango CO

Listen, they have a lot of great things at Bread. We tried the brownies, which are huge and decadent and come in different flavors on different days (pecan, hazelnut, cherry, and walnut were some that we saw, and they typically have a gluten-free variety, too), the chocolate cookies, and the bread. Each thing was clearly made with care and precision, and I was impressed by the overall quality.

Bread, Durango CO

But the true siren call for me at this bakery is something called the Pecan Roll. 

Bread, Durango CO

It's sort of like a morning bun, I suppose. But if I were pressed to describe it, I'd say equal parts croissant and pecan sticky bun...with a soupcon of pecan pie filling thrown in.

This is the type of pastry that makes you pause between bites, look side to side at anyone nearby who will listen, and say in a slightly choked-with-emotion voice, "this is so good". It really is. The marriage of a perfectly flaky dough (flaky enough to shatter in your mouth, but not so flaky as to shatter in your hand) holding in a bountiful butter flavor which explodes in your mouth is a thing of beauty. But it gets even more beautiful--gorgeous!--when you add a caramelized pecan mixture. 

Bread, Durango CO

Seriously. It will make you want to sing. Or at least buy six more to stockpile at home.

Bread is a very sweet bakery, with a friendly staff and an incredible carbohydratey aroma. I think that if you find yourself in Durango, you will adore it as much as I did.

Bread, 42 County Road 250, Durango CO; online here.