Baking Round Up- Fall 2012 Edition

Today’s post is a hodgepodge of sorts.  It is literally all over the place.  I wanted to share with you all some of my random baking adventures and yes, it is still meteorological fall until December 21st.

Many times my blog is not as up-to-date as I would like.  I may bake something and not be able to post about it until weeks later.  Writing posts and editing pictures take time, time that I do not always have or make.  I am not one of those bloggers who blogs for a living.  This is not my day job (obviously) and balancing blogging and the actual baking with normal, more than full-time work is well, hard work.

In my dream world, my full-time job would likely be my part-time job preferably at night.  That way I would be able to catch the beautiful natural light of day and take pictures of every single treat that I make in the best light possible.  Oh, to dream!  Anyway, considering the severe lack of time but also wanting to share with you some treats that I have made over the past few days weeks months, I put together this post of randomness.  (If you would like the actual recipe I used, as opposed to the link back to the inspiration recipe, let me know and I will try to send it or post it.)

These cookies were inspired by this recipe for Peanut Butter Cup Sandwich Cookies.  While they tasted amazingly refreshing, the idea did not work as well at the peanut butter cups did.  The peanut butter cups get melty when placed between two hot cookies and once cooled, hold the cookies together.  A peppermint pattie does not melt the same, even with the dark chocolate coating.  Therefore, these cookies did not stay together as well, but still tasty.

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These cookies are a basic chocolate chip cookie dough, rolled into a ball, and then pressed into fall harvest colored M&M’s (only on top) prior to baking.  The cookies were nice and festive for an at-work bake sale.

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These cake-jars were adapted from this recipe for a full Honey Bun Cake; I put mine in jars and changed the recipe some.  This cake brought me back to my high school days when some of my classmates (not me) would eat a honey bun for lunch, along with drinking a super sweet fruit punch drink.  This cake is definitely better than the cloyingly sweet, lacking in flavor, white peel-able frosting covered fare from the less responsible and nutritional unaware high school days.  Those old honey buns were not worth it, but this cake is worth every extra minute me and my adult metabolism had to spend at the gym to work it off.

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These pumpkin doughnut muffins were just okay, not good enough that I had to hide them from myself to stop from eating them and not bad enough to throw away.  They were just uncomfortably in the middle.  A middle dessert is the hardest for me to deal with.  I do not want to waste it, but I also do not want to give it away as a representation of what I love to do.  I am better the mediocre (at least in my mind).  I ended up rolling these in a second layer of cinnamon and sugar, because everything is better rolled in sugary and spicy goodness x2, and that brought these muffins over to the giveaway side, but just barely.

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These pie-jars were adapted from this recipe for a full Key Lime Pie.  I know it is not the time of the year for citrus flavored desserts, but this recipe is easy and worth tucking in your recipe drawer.  I am a major proponent of keeping food in its designated season.  For example, the biggest ongoing battle in my house is potato salad at Christmas dinner.  I mean, hello, potato salad is a summer food and should not be cozied up next to the ham!  Nevertheless, I digress.  This recipe is so good I am willing to go against my guttural instincts and share it off-season, but beg you to wait until spring or summer to make it.

I made a marshmallow meringue style topping for my jars because it was more sustainable for portability and not prone to weeping like a whipped cream.  For the topping I used: 4 Egg Large Whites; 1 cup Granulated Sugar; 1/2 tsp Cream of Tartar; and 2 tsp Vanilla Extract.  To make the marshmallow type topping:  Place sugar, egg whites, and cream of tartar in a heat proof mixer bowl.  Set over a saucepan of simmering water (like a double boiler), whisking constantly until sugar is dissolved.  Place mixer bowl in the stand mixer.  With the whisk attachment, beat until stiff, glossy peaks are formed, approximately 5 minutes.  Place marshmallow topping in a piping bag and pipe on top of key lime filling.  Place pies under broiler for a few seconds to brown the top.

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These cookies were adapted from this recipe for Peanut Butter, Banana, and Honey Cookies.  What makes a cookie a Breakfast cookie?  Well let’s break it down; when you think of breakfast, what do you want?  Something that is filling, hearty, and provides energy to start and get you through until lunch.  When you think of cookie, what do you think of?  Something sweet, portable, differing textures, and basically delicious.  All those characteristics (and more) are met with this cookie.  The ingredients of oats and bananas are so wholesome and typical breakfast fare.  To health it up, i.e., counter balance the chocolate chips, I used whole-wheat flour in the cookie.  These are definite worth giving a try for breakfast or anytime of the day.