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.
