Some Recent Cakes

21st Birthday Cake - my Daughter's! Simple and rustic.

Wedding - Hiking Cake, Cupcakes and Cookies

Finished! Wedding cake - hiking/camping cake!

Hiking Cake - Work in Progress!

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies In the World!

Hi all,

These are a riff on the old fashioned Toll House cookies, with a few small changes and some special things I do.

Ingredients

Bag of Toll House cookie chocolate chips

2 sticks salted butter (recipe calls for unsalted, but growing up, I never know what unsalted butter was, and always used salted, and the cookies taste much better! Also, as my Grandma Augie used to say, if you're going to use margarine, don't bother making the cookies) 

3/4 cups white sugar

3/4 cups tightly packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla - I ALWAYS use at least 2 teaspoons vanilla - extra vanilla never hurt a cookie, don't you agree?????

1 teaspoon water - Toll House recipe took this out - I don't know why

1 teaspoon salt - YES, more salt!!!

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 to 2 1/4 cups flour

Make sure your butter is room temperature. If the butter is cold, you can put it in a plastic bag and in some hot water, but don't microwave it. They just don't come out right, ok? And don't let it melt in the hot water. Whip the butter a bit - maybe 30 seconds. Add the sugar, mix it together. Add the brown sugar, mix just until mixed. Add the eggs and beat until just incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl.

Here is where I go off the rails. The recipe calls for one teaspoon of vanilla, but I've added as many as 3 teaspoons, some after the flour is in. Start with two teaspoons, add one teaspoon of water, one teaspoon of salt, and one level teaspoon of Baking Soda. Mix them in well, but don't beat. Slowly add the flour - start with 2 cups, and if you think the dough can take another 1/4 cup, add it. If too dry, just add a bit more vanilla. :) The recipe has gone back and forth from 2 cups flour to 2 1/4 cups. I generally found 2 1/4 cups was too much, but sometimes add a smidge more than 2 cups. 

Now, use the butter wrappers to grease your pans or use a paper towel tout some butter on the pans. Once I butter them once, I never butter them for the same batch of cookies. My cookies come out very crispy on the bottom, flatter and awesomely delicious!!! Be prepared to hide them and dole them out to your hungry family!! 

Some Spring Flowers- in Buttercream!

Velvety, luscious Swiss Meringue Buttercream - Tutorial

Recipe: 

3 sticks of unsalted butter at room temperature, cut into tablespoon size pieces

1 cup of sugar

5 egg whites

A couple of tablespoons of vanilla or other extract you prefer

- Clean a heat proof mixing bowl, paddle attachment and whisk with lemon juice or vinegar to remove any oils that may remain after washing. This is very important because if there is oil/grease on any of the tools, the egg whites won't stiffen. 

- Put the sugar into the egg and wisk frequently over a pot of simmering water. The one recipe I read said to heat to 160 degrees, but I generally heat until at least 150 to 160 degrees. Make sure all of the sugar is dissolved. Yes, you have to use your very clean hands to feel it - rub it between your thumb and forefinger

- When the sugar is dissolved, put the bowl on your stand mixer. 

- With the wisk on, starting beating the egg/sugar mixture on medium high, then switching to high. Let it beat until the egg whites are stiff. Keep an eye on it - sometimes this happens more quickly than other times. Stiff means that they can hold a very firm edge when you bring the wisk up out of the mixture. (I also do the Top Chef Pastry contest test - I hold the bowl upside down and if it holds for 10 seconds, it's good!)

- Change to the paddle attachment - on one speed above the slowest, add the room temperature butter one tablespoon at a time. I try to wait until the prior one mostly disappears to add the next. The butter is going to bring the temp of the egg mixture down - I feel the sides of the bowl frequently to ascertain what is going on with the temp. More about that later. 

- Add all of the butter, add the vanilla and then put the mixer on medium high. Let it rip!!! The buttercream is done when you can hear the mixture slapping on the sides of the bowl.

You may go through what is called the "ugly stage" of buttercream. Don't panic! Don't throw it out! If it looks like cottage cheese, it is too cold. Put it on a simmering pot of water on the stove, just wisk until it gets melt-y on the sides, and back on the mixer. Within a minute, you should get a smooth, creamy finish. Feel it, though - if it's not coming together and is still a bit cool, not yet room temp (around 70ish) - back on the stove for a few seconds. If you overheat it or it looks too soft, into the fridge for a few minutes. 

This is a remarkably tough recipe - it can take heat to cold and not get ruined.

Look at this wonderful, luscious, velvety buttercream!! Yum!!! 

Hello Kitty! And Birthday Cake

This is what's in most "buttercreams" you order

G

This is in what is in mine:

Egg whites - organic eggs

Sugar

Butter - organic

Vanilla

That's all! And this tastes just as it should - like all natural, fresh, delicious buttercream! 

Getting Busy - Get Your Orders In!

I'm getting busy with wedding cake orders - if you would like a holiday cake, graduation cake, birthday cake, bridal or baby shower cake, or cupcakes, please email me to reserve your date! 

Wedding!