Daring Bakers’ Challenge August 2012 – Filled Pate a Choux Flamingos

Kat of The Bobwhites was our August 2012 Daring Baker hostess who inspired us to have fun in creating pate a choux shapes, filled with crème patisserie or Chantilly cream. We were encouraged to create swans or any shape we wanted and to go crazy with filling flavors allowing our creativity to go wild!

So, I opened this month’s Daring Bakers’ Challenge and saw photos of elegant pate a choux swans filled with Chantilly cream and dusted with powdered sugar.  They were just lovely.

As I admired the tasteful (and tasty) desserts, the little voice in my head shouted, “You have to make cream puff flamingos!”

Yup, that’s just the way my mind works sometimes, from graceful pastry swans to plastic lawn ornaments in a matter of seconds.  Scary. 

Of course, I am a Baltimorean, and the city is no stranger to kitsch.  Now that football season has begun, black and purple plastic flamingos are littering decorating lawns everywhere to show support for the Ravens.  Maybe the flamingos snuck into my head that way.

 

 I followed the vanilla pasty cream recipe Kat provided.

 

 I puréed the heck outta ¼ c thawed frozen strawberries and stirred it into the cream.

 

To get a “flamingo” pink, I added a touch of gel food coloring.

 

The dough came together quickly.

 

Then I stirred in a touch of pink. . .

 . . . and piped the loooong necks and bodies.  With a little bit of food coloring on a damp brush, I painted the beaks.

I had so much fun assembling the birds I forgot to take pictures, but you can see step by step directions on the Daring Kitchen post.

Lemon Pound Cake for Carsen

Remember this little guy?

 

It’s hard to believe he turned one this week.

His big brother and two cousins also have birthdays this month, so we’re having a family celebration for all four kids next week.  But I couldn’t let the event pass without cake.

Beach baby Carsen has developed a taste for sand.  Maybe this cake can help him make the transition from snacking on the seashore to enjoying a food-based diet.

Lemon Pound Cake

1 c margarine

½ c shortening

2 ½ c sugar

5 eggs

3 c flour

½ t salt

Zest of 1 lemon

2/3 c evaporated milk

1/3 c fresh lemon juice

2 T vanilla

Grease and flour a 9 x 13 pan.  Do NOT preheat oven.

Stir together flour, salt, and zest in a medium bowl.  Combine liquids.

Beat together margarine, shortening, and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, combining thoroughly between each addition. 

Alternately add wet and dry ingredients, mixing well between additions.

Spread batter into prepared pan.  Bake at 325° for about an hour, until golden brown.

Lemon Frosting

1 c shortening

1 t vanilla

2 T milk

4 c (1 lb box) powdered sugar

Pinch of salt

Zest of 1 lemon

Beat together shortening, vanilla, and milk until light and fluffy.  Add powdered sugar, salt, and zest and mix thoroughly.  If needed, add more milk, one teaspoon at a time, until desired spreading consistency.

I carved the cake and applied a crumb coat.

Before smoothing fondant on the cake I pinched around 

the edge to make a rim for the sand bucket.

Daring Bakers’ Challenge July 2012 – Going Crackers

Our July 2012 Daring Bakers’ Host was Dana McFarland and she challenged us to make homemade crackers! Dana showed us some techniques for making crackers and encouraged to use our creativity to make each cracker our own by using ingredients we love.

You’ll definitely want to check out the great cracker recipes from this month’s Daring Bakers’ Challenge. I put my own twist on the Cheddar, Rosemary, and Walnut Icebox Crackers and Pepper Jack and Oregano Crackers recipes (see below) Dana provided.

Unfortunately, I think my days of store-bought crackers are now over.  I’ve had a taste of the good stuff and don’t see myself going back. On the bright side, the recipes I tried are quick and easy.  And playing around with different combinations of cheeses, nuts, and seasoning is going to be lots of fun.

Cheddar, Mustard, and Walnut Icebox Crackers

½ c butter, well softened

2 ¼ c grated cheddar

1 T dried mustard

2 t black pepper

1 c & 3 T flour

1 t salt

½ c finely chopped walnuts

Combine butter, cheddar, mustard, and pepper in a stand mixer. Stir in flour, salt, and nuts until combined.

Form the dough into two logs and wrap tightly in plastic wrap.  Chill at least an hour, or up to several days. (Can also be frozen for several months.)

Heat oven to 325° F.

Slice logs into 1/5-inch disks and place on parchment-lined baking sheet.  Bake about 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Store in an airtight container for up to three days.  Makes approximately 4 dozen crackers.

Feta, Dill, and Lemon Crackers

2 ¼ c feta

2 t dried dill weed

Zest of 1 lemon

½ t salt

½ t black pepper

1 2/3 c flour

½ c vegetable oil

½ c water

Spice topping

1 t kosher salt

1 t black pepper

1 t sugar

Combine spice topping and set aside.

Combine feta, dill, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and flour in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Add oil and combine until the mixture has the consistency of wet sand.  Add enough water for the dough to come together.

Shape the dough into two disks and wrap tightly in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Heat oven to 325° F.

Flour a flat surface well and roll out dough (half a disk at a time) to 1/8 of an inch thick.  Cut dough into squares (or any shape you choose). Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and sprinkle with the spice mixture.

Bake for 20 – 25 minutes until golden brown.

Store in an airtight container for up to three days.  Makes approximately 80 crackers.

S'more Treats

So, between fighting off that pesky, determined flu and enduring this crazy, miserable heat, I’m afraid I’m about a quart low on brain cells. 

Don’t get me wrong, I’m perfectly functional and at times there are the usual flashes of brilliance.  Still, I’ve found it best to keep things simple this month.  This recipe fits the bill perfectly.

Maybe next week I’ll challenge my culinary muscles.

S’more Treats

4 c puffed rice cereal

2 c graham crackers,

    broken into bite-sized pieces

½ c butter

10.5 oz bag mini marshmallows

1 c chocolate chips

2 Hershey bars, for decoration

Grease a 9 x 13 pan.  Combine cereal and graham crackers in a large bowl.

Melt butter and marshmallows over medium heat, then pour over cereal and mix thoroughly.  Stir in chocolate chips (I used mini semi sweet chips, but feel free to use milk chocolate if you’re a s’mores purist). 

 

 

Press mixture into the prepared pan.  If desired, top treats with pieces of a Hershey bar.  The chocolate will melt ever so slightly.  When cool, cut into squares and enjoy!