bake something every week

My next challenge is to figure out how to make those delicious cupcakes with the heavenly frosting so many cupcake places sell now. If you have a frosting recipe, please share!!

I baked a Bacon Chocolate Cake today for hubby’s b-day. Turned out really good…has smoke flavor and real bacon mixed into the frosting, and lots of vanilla in the chocolate cake. Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens magazine….yum!

Today I made some “French Breakfast Puffs” from the “Pioneer Woman Cooks” new cookbook. I must say they were pretty tasty, and very very good with coffee, although the muffin itself reminds me more of the sort of cooking I found up in Canada and the upper midwest…lots of sugary coating and a little hearty. I guess I have too much West Coast in me…I prefer the heavy berries/fruity muffins that are not so sweet and more healthy….but these muffins this morning were a treat!

I just picked up a book called “Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day.”. The idea is refrigerator dough that lasts a week or so with a few basic recipes. I am going to give this a try!

http://www.artisanbreadinfive.com/

With homemade whipped cream and local berries unthawed from summer. Does this count?? MMmmmm good!

I slacked off on this the past few months, but got my baking on yesterday…felt so good. I forget how much I love to get my hands in the dough!!

Made a double recipe of one of Beth Hensperger’s breads…everything folks say about her books are true…best investment ever. The house smells awesome! I tried the “Sweet Vanilla Challah” recipe. It tastes heavenly.

I also made two mini banana breads to use up some ripe bananas. I plan to give some of each creation to my grandmother who just lost my grandfather on Good Friday.

Already baked, already devoured. Not a new recipe, but loved nonetheless!

Not exactly Cinnabon quality….but hit the craving nonetheless! Took much longer to make than expected. I used a basic recipe from the old classic BHG cookbook…and it was really basic. Next time I will find a copy-cat recipe. The rolls were eaten up nonetheless!!

Still trying to get the hang of my gas oven’s temps.

Mmmmm!

Nanaimo Bars!
Lemon Bars!
Snickerdoodles!
Sugar Cookies!

In the works:

Cream Wafers!
Mints!
Hersey’s Kiss Cookies!
Cocoa and Peppermint Meringues!
Gingerbread!
Biscotti!
Pumpkin Scones!
Cinnamon Rolls!

Cake Part Deux….well….I sent hubby to the store for cake mix and eggs. In his “thriftiness” he decided to stop by the dollar store and found they had cake mix and eggs, so he proudly brought them home with every good intention.

The problem? I picked up the cake mix, looked at the directions, and saw it called for 1/2 cup soybean oil. Soybean oil???? I had no soybean oil, only vegetable oil, so I attempted to substitute. Then came the eggs…a few organic eggs left, their yokes were HUGE. Then came the dollar store eggs….puny, little eggs with puny little yolks.

Mixed them up and popped the cakes in the oven…and waited…baked a full 45 minutes and then some….finally the outsides were looking very well done and the cakes were the right size so I pulled them out….

FWOP! The centers of BOTH cakes collapsed, creating huge craters in the center, and the former tops floating in a sea of pudding-like cake batter.

Nope….these cakes were not scouts auction material. I abandoned plans.

I DID however, achieve this goal for last week, even though it did not turn out as planned!