New Baking Up Chaos Logo

Yep! I finally got around to designing a Baking Up Chaos logo.

What do you think??

Questions? Comments? Concerns?

Now who wants to see a cool give-a-way with the new logo?!?!

Daring Bakers: First Challenge ended in a flop!

This month's challenge is brought to us by the adventurous Hilda from Saffron and Blueberry and Marion from Il en Faut Peu Pour Etre Heureux. They have chosen a French Yule Log by Flore from Florilege Gourmand.

This was my first month to actually participate and the choice of a French Yule Log sounded amazing! My intentions were to great and my abition good, even with such an extensive first challenge. But the life happened...

What happens when you have 2 Christmas parties, an extra order of cupcakes, 4 homemade Christmas presents and you arrive after your holiday travels to find no room in the fridge or freezer? Simply put, your project flops. I tried. I really did. But it was a disaster. I'm going to try this one again in February with a Valentine's twist just so I can I completed the challenge successfully. However, I have no pictures to share because it was THAT bad of a flop.

So for your viewing pleasure, here is a picture of what a true French Yule Log should look like, courtesy of Hilda from Saffron and Blueberry.

Of Course you want the receipe, who doesn't? This was my intended French Yule Log (taken from the DB Kitchen):

Element #1 Coconut Dacquoise Biscuit

Preparation time: 10 mn + 15 mn for baking

Equipment: 2 mixing bowls, hand or stand mixer with whisk attachment, spatula, baking pan such as a 10”x15” jelly-roll pan, parchment paper

Note: You can use the Dacquoise for the bottom of your Yule Log only, or as bottom and top layers, or if using a Yule log mold (half-pipe) to line your entire mold with the biscuit. Take care to spread the Dacquoise accordingly. Try to bake the Dacquoise the same day you assemble the log to keep it as moist as possible.

Ingredients:
1/4 C almond meal
2/3 C Shredded coconut

1.75 oz (1/2 cup / 50g) confectioner’s sugar

2Tbsp (15g) all-purpose flour

3.5oz (100g / ~100ml) about 3 medium egg whites

1.75 oz (4 Tbsp / 50g) granulated sugar

1. Finely mix the almond meal, coconut and the confectioner's sugar.
2. Sift the flour into the mix.

3. Beat the eggs whites, gradually adding the granulated sugar until stiff.

4. Pour the almond meal mixture into the egg whites and blend delicately with a spatula.

5. Grease a piece of parchment paper and line your baking pan with it.

6. Spread the batter on a piece of parchment paper to an area slightly larger than your desired shape (circle, long strip etc...) and to a height of 1/3 inches (8mm).

7. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for approximately 15 minutes (depends on your oven), until golden.

8. Let cool and cut to the desired shape.

Element #2 Vanilla Mousse

Preparation time: 20mn

Equipment: stand or hand mixer with whisk attachment, thermometer, double boiler or equivalent, spatula

Note: You will see that a Pate a Bombe is mentioned in this recipe. A Pate a Bombe is a term used for egg yolks beaten with a sugar syrup, then aerated. It is the base used for many mousse and buttercream recipes. It makes mousses and buttercreams more stable, particularly if they are to be frozen, so that they do not melt as quickly or collapse under the weight of heavier items such as the crème brulee insert. In the Vanilla Mousse variation, pastry cream is made to the same effect.Gelatin is the gelifying agent in all of the following recipes, but if you would like to use agar-agar, here are the equivalencies: 8g powdered gelatin = 1 (0.25 oz) envelope powdered gelatin = 1 Tbsp powdered gelatin = 1 Tbsp Agar-Agar. 1 Tbsp. of agar-agar flakes is equal to 1 tsp. of agar-agar powder.

Ingredients:

2/3 cup (160g) heavy cream (35% fat content)

2/3 cup (160g) whole milk

1 vanilla bean

4 medium-sized egg yolks

3 oz (6 Tbsp / 80g) granulated sugar

3 Tbsp (25g) cornstarch, sifted

4g / 2 tsp powdered gelatin or 2 sheets gelatin

1 cup (240g) whipping cream (35% fat content)

Make a pastry cream:

1. Pour the milk and 2/3 cup cream into a saucepan. Split the vanilla bean in half, scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean halves into milk and put the vanilla bean in as well.

2. Heat to boiling, then turn the heat off, cover and let infuse for at least 30 minutes. Then remove the vanilla bean.

3. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until white, thick and fluffy.

4. Add the cornstarch, beating carefully to ensure that there are no lumps. While whisking vigorously, pour some of the milk into the yolk mixture to temper it.

5. Put infused milk back on the stove on medium heat. Pour yolk mixture back into the milk while whisking vigorously. Keep whisking vigorously until mixture thickens considerably.

6. As soon as the mixture starts to boil, leave on for only 2 more minutes. (The recipe says you should remove the vanilla bean at this time but in the interest of no one getting burned, that can be done after you take the pastry cream off the stove.)

7. Once removed from the heat, cover the pastry cream by putting plastic film directly on the surface of the cream (this prevents it from forming a thick and unappetizing skin as it cools). Let cool at room temperature.

8. Soften the gelatin in cold water and melt in a small saucepan with 1 tsp of water OR melt in the microwave for 1 second (do not boil). Whisking vigorously, pour the cooled pastry cream over it.

9. Whip the 1 cup whipping cream until stiff and add gradually to the pastry cream (DO NOT WHISK). Blend delicately with a spatula (DO NOT WHISK).

Element #3 White Chocolate Ganache Insert

Preparation time: 10mn

Equipment: pan, whisk. If you have plunging mixer (a vertical hand mixer used to make soups and other liquids), it comes in handy.

Note: Because the ganache hardens as it cools, you should make it right before you intend to use it to facilitate piping it onto the log during assembly. Please be careful when caramelizing the sugar and then adding the cream. It may splatter and boil.

Ingredients:

1.75 oz (4 Tbsp / 50g) granulated sugar

5 oz (135g) white chocolate, finely chopped

4.5 oz (2/3 cup – 1 Tbsp / 135g) heavy cream (35% fat content)

1. Make a caramel: Using the dry method, melt the sugar by spreading it in an even layer in a small sauce pan with high sides. Heat over medium-high heat, watching it carefully as the sugar begins to melt. Never stir the mixture. As the sugar starts to melt, swirl the pan occasionally to allow the sugar to melt evenly. Cook to dark amber color (for most of you that means darker than last month’s challenge).

2. While the sugar is melting, heat the cream until boiling. Pour cream into the caramel and stir thoroughly. Be very careful as it may splatter and boil.

3. Pour the hot caramel-milk mixture over the dark chocolate. Wait 30 seconds and stir until smooth.

Element #4 Coconut Feuillete (Crisp) Insert

Preparation time: 10 mn (+ optional 15mn if you make lace crepes)

Equipment: Small saucepan, baking sheet (if you make lace crepes).Double boiler (or one small saucepan in another), wax paper, rolling pin (or I use an empty bottle of olive oil).

Note: Feuillete means layered (as in with leaves) so a Praline Feuillete is a Praline version of a delicate crisp. There are non-praline variations below. The crunch in this crisp comes from an ingredient which is called gavottes in French. Gavottes are lace-thin crepes. To our knowledge they are not available outside of France, so you have the option of making your own using the recipe below or you can simply substitute rice krispies or corn flakes or Special K for them. Special note: If you use one of the substitutes for the gavottes, you should halve the quantity stated, as in use 1oz of any of these cereals instead of 2.1oz.If you want to make your own praline, please refer back to the Daring Baker Challenge Recipe from July 2008.

To make 2.1oz / 60g of gavottes (lace crepes - recipe by Ferich Mounia):

1/3 cup (80ml) whole milk

2/3 Tbsp (8g) unsalted butter

1/3 cup – 2tsp (35g) all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp / 0.5 oz (15g) beaten egg

1 tsp (3.5g) granulated sugar

½ tsp vegetable oil

1. Heat the milk and butter together until butter is completely melted. Remove from the heat.

2. Sift flour into milk-butter mixture while beating, add egg and granulated sugar. Make sure there are no lumps.

3. Grease a baking sheet and spread batter thinly over it.

4. Bake at 430°F (220°C) for a few minutes until the crepe is golden and crispy. Let cool.

Ingredients:
3.5 oz (100g) white chocolate

1 oz (1/3 cup/25g) shredded coconut

1 2/3 Tbsp (25g) unsalted butter

2.1 oz (60g) lace crepes or rice krispies or corn flakes or Special K

1. Spread the coconut on a baking tray and bake for 5-10 minutes at 375°F (190°C) to toast (a different temperature might work better for you with your own oven).

2. Melt the white chocolate and butter in a double boiler. Stir until smooth and add the toasted coconut.

3. Add the coarsely crushed lace crepes. Mix quickly to thoroughly coat with the chocolate. Spread between two sheets of wax paper to a size slightly larger than your desired shape. Refrigerate until hard.

Element #5 Vanilla Crème Brulée Insert

Preparation time: 15mn + 1h infusing + 1h baking

Equipment: Small saucepan, mixing bowl, baking mold, wax paper

Note: The vanilla crème brulée can be flavored differently by simply replacing the vanilla with something else e.g. cardamom, lavender, etc...

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (115g) heavy cream (35% fat content)

½ cup (115g) whole milk

4 medium-sized (72g) egg yolks

0.75 oz (2 Tbsp / 25g) granulated sugar

1 vanilla bean

1. Heat the milk, cream, and scraped vanilla bean to just boiling. Remove from the stove and let the vanilla infuse for about 1 hour.

2. Whisk together the sugar and egg yolks (but do not beat until white).

3. Pour the vanilla-infused milk over the sugar/yolk mixture. Mix well.

4. Wipe with a very wet cloth and then cover your baking mold (whatever shape is going to fit on the inside of your Yule log/cake) with parchment paper. Pour the cream into the mold and bake at 210°F (100°C) for about 1 hour or until firm on the edges and slightly wobbly in the center.

Tartelette says: You can bake it without a water bath since it is going to go inside the log (the aesthetics of it won't matter as much since it will be covered with other things)....BUT I would recommend a water bath for the following reasons:- you will get a much nicer mouth feel when it is done- you will be able to control its baking point and desired consistency much better- it bakes for such a long time that I fear it will get overdone without a water bathNow...since it is baked in a pan and it is sometimes difficult to find another large pan to set it in for a water bath, even a small amount of water in your water bath will help the heat be distributed evenly in the baking process. Even as little as 1 inch will help.

5. Let cool and put in the freezer for at least 1 hour to firm up and facilitate the final assembly.

Element #6 White Chocolate Icing

Preparation time: 25 minutes (10mn if you don’t count softening the gelatin)

Equipment: Small bowl, small saucepan

Note: Because the icing gelifies quickly, you should make it at the last minute.For other gelatin equivalencies or gelatin to agar-agar equivalencies, look at the notes for the mousse component.

Ingredients:

1.5 gelatin sheets or 3g / 1/2Tbsp powdered gelatin

3.5 oz (100g) white chocolate

2 Tbsp (30g) unsalted butter

1/3 cup (90 g) whole milk

1 2/3 Tbsp (30g) glucose or thick corn syrup

1. Soften the gelatin in cold water for 15 minutes.

2. Coarsely chop the chocolate and butter together.

3. Bring the milk and glucose syrup to a boil.

4. Add the gelatin.

5. Pour the mixture over the chocolate and butter. Whisk until smooth.

6. Let cool while checking the texture regularly. As soon as the mixture is smooth and coats a spoon well (it is starting to gelify), use immediately.

How To Assemble your French Yule LogDepending on whether your mold is going to hold the assembly upside down until you unmold it or right side up, this order will be different.

THIS IS FOR UNMOLDING FROM UPSIDE DOWN TO RIGHT SIDE UP. You will want to tap your mold gently on the countertop after each time you pipe mousse in to get rid of any air bubbles.

1) Line your mold or pan, whatever its shape, with rhodoid (clear hard plastic, I usually use transparencies cut to the desired shape, it’s easier to find than cellulose acetate which is what rhodoid translates to in English) OR plastic film. Rhodoid will give you a smoother shape but you may have a hard time using it depending on the kind of mold you’re using.You have two choices for Step 2, you can either have Dacquoise on the top and bottom of your log as in version A or you can have Dacquoise simply on the bottom of your log as in version B:

2A) Cut the Dacquoise into a shape fitting your mold and set it in there. If you are using an actual Yule mold which is in the shape of a half-pipe, you want the Dacquoise to cover the entire half-pipe portion of the mold.

3A) Pipe one third of the Mousse component on the Dacquoise.

4A) Take the Creme Brulee Insert out of the freezer at the last minute and set on top of the mousse. Press down gently to slightly ensconce it in the mousse.

5A) Pipe second third of the Mousse component around and on top of the Creme Brulee Insert.

6A) Cut the Praline/Crisp Insert to a size slightly smaller than your mold so that it can be surrounded by mousse. Lay it on top of the mousse you just piped into the mold.

7A) Pipe the last third of the Mousse component on top of the Praline Insert.

8A) Freeze for a few hours to set. Take out of the freezer.

9A) Pipe the Ganache Insert onto the frozen mousse leaving a slight eidge so that ganache doesn’t seep out when you set the Dacquoise on top.

10A) Close with the last strip of Dacquoise.Freeze until the next day.

Assembly UPSIDE DOWN with ONE piece of Dacquoise on the BOTTOM ONLY the order is:

1) Mousse

2) Creme Brulee Insert

3) Mousse

4) Praline/Crisp Insert

5) Mousse

6) Ganache Insert

7) Dacquoise

THE NEXT DAY...Unmold the cake/log/whatever and set on a wire rack over a shallow pan.Cover the cake with the icing.Let set. Return to the freezer. You may decorate your cake however you wish. The decorations can be set in the icing after it sets but before you return the cake to the freezer or you may attach them on top using extra ganache or leftover mousse, etc...Transfer to the refrigerator no longer than ½ hour before serving as it may start to melt quickly depending on the elements you chose.

Whew! Are you tired from just reading that?? Looks like most DB's took about 6 hours to complete the challenge. Man, when the french throw down the gauntlet, they REALLY throw down the gauntlet

Raspberry Chocolate Cupcakes

**Pictures to follow soon**

This past weekend I was instructed to bring cupcakes to the family pot luck. Okay, the instruction part was easy. But deciding what to bring was a whole other ball game. I finally pulled a receipe for a Raspberry Chocolate cake from the Taste of Home Baking Book. But then of course modified it for a family friendly cupcake receipe.

It was a so incredibly flavorful and moist! There was some overflow as the coffee in the recipe really thinned things out, but the results were amazing. I figured it would make 24 cupcakes, nope. We pull 36 and could have probably gone another 12-18 easily. Here's the receipe, with my modifications...

Raspberry Chocolate Cupcakes: (yields 48 cupcakes)

The cake:

3 C Sugar

2 3/4 C All purpose Flour

1 C Baking cocoa

1 1/2 t Salt

3/4 t Baking powder

2 t Baking soda

1 1/4 C Buttermilk

3/4 C Veg. Oil

3 t Vanilla

3 Eggs

1 1/2 C Strong Brewed Coffee - Room temperature

In a Large bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil and vanilla until mixed well. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients until combined. Beat in one egg at a time. Gradually add coffee. Note that coffee will thin batter substantially. Spoon into cupcake liners until half full. Anything more than half way will overflow.

Bake at 350* for 20 mins. Remove when tester comes out clear and allow to cool completely.

The Filling:

3 T Flour

6 T Milk

6 T Sortening

3 T Butter, softened

3 C Confectioners Sugar

2 T Raspberry liquor

1/4 t Salt

2 Drops of red food coloring (if desired)

Additional: 4 T Raspberry jam, melted.

When the cupcakes are completely cooled, cut out the center section. Add some of the melted jam to each cupcake. Then Fill with the filling until level with top of cupcake. You can then replace the top of the cupcake, or leave it off likeI did. Then frost...

The Frosting:

1 pkg cold cream cheese

1/3 C butter, softened

1/2 C baking cocoa

1 T raspberry flavoring (the original receipe called for Raspberry liquor)

4 C Confectioners Sugar

I frosted the cupcakes with a large star tip, the mandatory cupcake tip if you ask me. And topped with chocolate dipped Raspberries for added effect. You could simply top with raspberried and chocolate curls or leave plan. They are beautiful just as they are.

This recipe, while step intensive, was amazingly simple and delicious! As soon as I get my memory card back from the husband, I will post pictures of the Raspberry Chocolate Cupcakes and their cross section.

No one to blame but myself...

If you are in the world of cupcake blogs, then you know of the drama engulfing iron cupcake earth. It is with my utmost of sincerities that I write this apology...

I try hard to teach my boys values and integrity but today I showed little of both. In my zest to get recognized in the cupcake blogging world, I didn't think before I acted. This type of noticing was not what I had in mind. I'm a big enough woman and have enough integrity to admit when I am wrong.

I apologize to each ICE competitor this month. While my post to a handful of women was not meant maliciously, it was still a public forum and viewed as such. When I posted for these women to vote for me**, I never dreamed that it would be considered cheating. This handful of women would never sit there voting for me continuously, much less once. But never the less, cheating it was. And for that, I apologize.

I apologize to Sandy for all of your hard work coordinating ICE each month. You put so much into the competition that my actions were like a slap in the face. I admire your creativity and your leadership.

I am no longer a contender in this month's challenge. I'm sad because I know based on the number of votes that I might have actually had a chance this month. And no, those were legitimate votes. (Like I said, only a handful of women were advised how to vote more than once and to my knowledge, none have even voted yet.) I will not be participating next month. But would like to assist Sandy to offset the distress I have caused.

Again I apologize for my actions. The challenge might be full of drama this month, but the challenge isn't over and a worthy competitor will win some amazing prizes.

** To be clear, asking friends, coworkers, spouse, family, etc to vote for you is not considered cheating, but telling them how to vote multiple times is.

VOTE NOW!!

Its that time again! GO vote for ME (BakingUpChaos) to win the December Iron Cupcake Earth: Chocolate Twist Challenge!!!

WHATS ON THE LINE?
Our December ETSY PRIZE-PACK is from artists:
BETTY TURBO - http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5002976
as well as a pair of cupcake earrings from LOTS OF SPRINKLES at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6057281.

PLUS, IronCupcake:Earth can not forget our good friend, CAKESPY, http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5243382, who is now going to be doing a piece for our winner each month until further notice - sweet!

As an added bonus for December we have adorable cupcake pincushions complements of SWEET CUPPIN CAKES BAKERY AND CUPCAKERY SUPPLY, http://www.acupcakery.com/index.html.

Last and certainly not least, don’t forget our corporate prize providers: HEAD CHEFS by FIESTA PRODUCTS, http://www.fiestaproducts.com, HELLO CUPCAKE by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, http://blog.hellocupcakebook.com, JESSIE STEELE APRONS http://www.jessiesteele.com; the CUPCAKE COURIER http://www.cupcakecourier.com; TASTE OF HOME books, http://www.tasteofhome.com. Iron Cupcake:Earth is sponsored in part by 1-800-Flowers, http://www.1800flowers.com .

Merry Christmas!!!

Happy Holidays from our family to your's!

Iron Cupcake Earth: Chocolate Twist

When Sandy announced this month's Iron Cupcake: Earth Challenge, I just about jumped for joy! But out of fear of being caught and thought to be an even more odd-ball than my cowarkers already think I am, I contained my excitement and started surfing for the perfect combination. By mixing a few recipes across the web, I was able to pull together an amazing entry...

Chocolate Shiner "Stout" Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache and Bailey's Buttercream Icing...

WOW! I mean seriously. WOW! If that title alone doesn't win this month's Iron Cupcake Earth Challenge, the recipe sure will. This one will warm you from the inside out while calming that chocolate craving that hits mid afternoon. This one is a sure fire winner!! Try it out for yourself if you don't believe me.



Chocolate Shiner "Stout" Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache and Bailey's Buttercream Icing:

Cupcakes: (makes 44)
2 C Shiner Stout
2 C unsalted butter
1 1/2 C unsweetened cocoa powder

4 C all purpose flour
4 C sugar
1 T baking soda
1 1/2 t salt

4 Large eggs
1 1/3 C sour cream

Preheat oven to 350*. Bring 2 C stout and 2 C butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan (this is important or you'll get a serious mess to clean up). Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.

Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Fold in batter until completely combined. Divide evenly among cupcake liners and bake until cake tester comes out clean. It was about 15 minutes in my oven. Cool completely on rack.



Ganache: (makes 48)
1 1/2 C dark semi sweet cocolate chips
1 1/3 C heavy cream

Heat cream to a simmer then pour over chocolate chips. Let sit for a minute and stir until blended. Dip cupcakes into chocolate and put in refrigerator to set.

Bailey's Buttercream: (makes 48)
4 sticks of butter, softened
4-6 C of powdered sugar
4 T of Bailey's Irish Cream

Cream all ingredients until desired consistancy and pipe big swirls on each cupcake. Dust with cocoa powder if so desired.











Big Thanks to for December's prizes and sponsers!!

Our December ETSY PRIZE-PACK is from artists (taken straight from Sandy's website):
BETTY TURBO - http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5002976 as well as a pair of cupcake earrings from LOTS OF SPRINKLES at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6057281.

PLUS, IronCupcake:Earth can not forget our good friend, CAKESPY, http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5243382, who is now going to be doing a piece for our winner each month until further notice - sweet!

As an added bonus for December we have adorable cupcake pincushions complements of SWEET CUPPIN CAKES BAKERY AND CUPCAKERY SUPPLY, http://www.acupcakery.com/index.html.

Last and certainly not least, don’t forget our corporate prize providers:
HEAD CHEFS by FIESTA PRODUCTS, http://www.fiestaproducts.com/, HELLO CUPCAKE by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, http://blog.hellocupcakebook.com/, JESSIE STEELE APRONS http://www.jessiesteele.com/; the CUPCAKE COURIER http://www.cupcakecourier.com/; TASTE OF HOME books, http://www.tasteofhome.com/. Iron Cupcake:Earth is sponsored in part by 1-800-Flowers, http://www.1800flowers.com/ .


Submitted for Art you can Eat's Winter Holiday 2008 Book #6 "Cupcakes"

Guest Blogger: Stef & Cupcake Project

I was so honored when Sherra asked if I would write a guest post and tell you guys a little bit about Cupcake Project!

Cupcake Project has actually been more like Cupcake Projects.

Project 1:


My first project was baking 300 wedding cupcakes for my friends' wedding. As if that weren't enough, I baked them a new flavor of cupcake every week for the year prior to their wedding so that they could pick which cupcakes they wanted on the big day.

The three that they ended up choosing were soda fountain cupcakes (a root beer cupcake with cream soda frosting topped with a malt ball), margarita cupcakes, and gingerbread latte cupcakes.

Project 2:

When another couple I am good friends with announced their engagement, I couldn't help but make them the same offer to bake for their wedding. I again had a year to prepare and gave them different cupcakes to try each week. As you can see in the picture, they clearly had a Fall wedding and chose some great Fall-themed cupcakes: apple cinnamon cupcakes, oatmeal raisin cupcakes, chocolate cupcakes with bourbon and pecan. Oh - and just in case you think based on this picture that I didn't really make very many cupcakes for the second wedding, you should know that I made the same number as the first wedding, they were just hiding and venue's staff kept replenishing them.

Project 3:


With no more readily available engaged friends to bake for, I decided that my next project would be to fix up with of my male cupcake-loving friends (who I call Groom 2.5 although he is definitely a bachelor) with a cupcake baking female - based solely on their love of the cupcake. You can read the whole list of questions that I asked the bachelor and bachlorette in my cupcake love connection post, but here's my favorite one:

Groom 2.5, you are watching Minko bake and discover that she has some extra frosting. What do you suggest that she do with it?

I'd offer to frost her cupcakes.

You are baking cupcakes and Groom 2.5 is watching. You find that you have some extra frosting. What do you do with it?

Put it on my 'cupcakes' and …….

The fatal flaw with the Cupcake Love Connection was that Minko is a located in Australia and my friend is in St. Louis, Missouri. I had a lot of fun trying to set them up, but alas, that project is on hold until they get a chance to meet.

What will project 4.0 be? You'll have to check out my blog to find out. I'll let my readers know as soon as I know.

What are the most exciting word for a Foodie??

POT LUCK!

I know crazy, right. But seriously if they weren't, then someone please explain why I just stayed up 24hrs+ to bake items for the Office Holiday Pot luck? Did I take on a projec too big? It, in and of itself would have been fine, but add it to finishing 3 gifts and wrapping 4 and it is an all nighter.



Here's the menu:
24 Melting Snowmen Butter Pecan Cupcakes
24 Coconut Vanilla Buttercream Cupcakes
Broccoli Cheese Chicken Braid
Meat & Cheese Tray
Stuffing
Green bean caserole
3 doz deviled eggs


Seams pretty reaonslbe, right? I agree. Or did until my sweet husband had to make modifications to the schedule.


I did however get a chance to retry those melting snowmen. I think they turned on better this time.

Happy Blogaversary I ♥ Cuppycakes!

Happy Blogaversary to you!
Happy Blogaversary to you!
Happy Blogaversary to Clara!!
Happy Blogaversary to you!



Clara over at I ♥ Cuppycakes is celebrating a very special Blogaversary...1 year!! Congratulations Clara! Cupcakes lifted to you in Cheers for your accomplishment!!


If you haven't seen Clara's blog, take a moment and stop by. She has some amazing receipes, fresh new ideas for cupcakes and generally is an entertainly read. :)

Thanks Clara for make the year so much more enjoyable with your fresh take on cupcakes!

National Cupcake Day & Melting Snowmen!

I may be a day late because life can get a little hectic with 3 little boys, but I'm certainly not a dollar short. :)

Happy National Cupcake day!!!

To celebrate, i tried something new. I know, what is the point of baking if you aren't going to step out of your comfort zone. Well I definately did that...and learned a few secrets I'm going to share with anyone wanting to make Melting Snowmen Cupcakes like the ones Nicisme made at Cherrapeno. They are not only cuter than all get out, but so simple to make. They do require a little time, but preparation can make all the difference.

I baked Magnolia Bakery's Awesome Chocolate Cupcakes as my foundation. Then used a thick royal icing and fondant as suggested.

Things I learned:

1. Marshmellow fondant is awesome!! It works well, tastes great and looks phenominal!

2. Royal icing must be thicker than you think "Spreadable" means. Too thin and it runs too freely.

3. Fill the cupcake liners 1/2 to 2/3 full instead of 3/4 full as suggested. Some of my cupcake tops were lower than others in relation to the liners. And while I got great domes on my cupcakes, the ones will less dome and a little edge around the liners actually worked better. The others allowed the snowmen heads to slide off.

4. Pre-assemble the snowmen heads for ease of construction. This along with smaller heads will be a change I make before I bake them again on Thursday.

Good luck, Happy baking and Happy Cupcake Day!!

For those wanting the Marshmellow fondant receipe: (Peggy's Baking Corner)

16 ounces white mini-marshmallows

2 to 5 tablespoons water2 pounds icing sugar

½ cup Crisco shortening

Melt marshmallows and 2 tablespoons of water in a microwave or double boiler: Put the bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds, open microwave and stir, back in microwave for 30 seconds more, open microwave and stir again, and continue doing this until melted. It usually takes about 2 ½ minutes total. Place 3/4 of the powdered sugar on the top of the melted marshmallow mix.

Now grease your hands GENEROUSLY - palms, backs and in between fingers, then heavily grease the counter you will be using and dump the bowl of marshmallow/sugar mixture in the middle. (By the way, this recipe is also good for your hands. When I’m done, they are baby soft.)
Start kneading like you would bread dough. You will immediately see why you have greased your hands.

Keep kneading, this stuff is sticky at this stage! Add the rest of the powdered sugar and knead some more. Re-grease your hands and counter when the fondant is sticking. If the mix is tearing easily, it is to dry, so add water (about ½ tablespoon at a time then knead it in). It usually takes me about 8 minutes to get a firm smooth elastic ball so that it will stretch without tearing when you apply it to the cake.

Its best if you can let it sit, double wrapped, overnight (but you can use it right away if there are no tiny bits of dry powdered sugar). If you do see them, you will need to knead and maybe add a few more drops of water.

Prepare the fondant for storing by coating it with a good layer of Crisco shortening, wrap in a plastic- type wrap product and then put it in a re-sealable or Ziploc bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible.

MM Fondant will hold very well in the refrigerator for weeks. If I know that I have a cake to decorate, I usually make 2 batches on a free night during the week so it is ready when I need it. Take advantage of the fact that this fondant can be prepared well in advance.

Guest Blogger: Cakespy

It sure looks like Cakespy is making the rounds this week in the blogworld. You better believe I couldn't let you down, so of course, they are stopping here today as our guest blogger!! "The Cakespy crew is comprised of about 6 or 7 Cake Gumshoes throughout the US, and is headed up by Head Spy Jessie Oleson." They put their heads together and compiled an amazing feature just for you! Please Welcome the crew from Cakespy!


When Baking up Chaos asked us to do a guest spot showcasing some of our favorite bakers, we got all excited: we love bakers! But quickly, the excitement turned to despair: how to choose? Perhaps we love too many bakers. Perhaps this is a problem. However, another opportunity then occurred: why not showcase our favorite FAKE bakers? Because yes, we confess: we have a John Waters-like obsession with fake food. Here are our best bets:

Artreverie: This is an awesome, Atlanta-based ceramics company headed by the amazing Heather Cunningham. We first came across her work at Babycakes in NYC, where her work is prominently featured in their window. Now, creating a lifelike likeness in ceramic is not an easy thing to do, but Heather does it with ease--her cupcakes actually look real. Delectable, but not delicious...and yet why does that glaze look so tempting? They're available from time to time on her Etsy shop.

Decor Central: Have you ever seen anything more festive than this coconut cupcake? Well, guess what--it's fake! What a fun way to decorate your home...or mess with friends and family?

Fake-Foods.com: Like, oh my god. These people even supply fake foods to Unwrapped! While their pastry offerings are mediocre on the site, what intrigues us here is the prospect of getting a replica made of the dessert of your choice. How cool is that? Leelee's Creations: This is like heaven for lovers of fake food--from cupcakes to layer cakes to savory foods too, they've got it all. Their web images are not great, but their product delivers.

My Pink Boutique: If Marie Antoinette opened a shop specializing in faux patisserie, it would probably look like this. Gorgeous faux cupcakes, petits-fours, and more are on show here!

Zimmerman Marketplace: Simple but lovely, their fake cakes (especially this faux vanilla buttercream cupcake!) strike our fancy.

Incidentally, when you think faux cakes are you thinking of cakes of the likes of which strippers might pop out? If so, here's a tutorial.

Stay sweet!

Guest Blogger: Michelle - BrownEyedBaker

Our Guest Blogger today hails from

BrownEyedBaker, recently launching a new baking business, Buona Dulce, please give Michelle a warm welcome...

1. As bakers, we all have things we could live without, but would never want to. What five items in your kitchen are "grab in case of fire" items?
My Kitchen Aid stand mixer, my Cuisinart 11-cup food processor, my baking stones, all of my cake decorating supplies, and of course my 7.25-quart Le Creuset dutch oven (otherwise affectionately known as “Big Red”).

2. What ingredients are you excited about lately? What creations have you used those ingredients in lately?
Well, I’m definitely a chocoholic and love rich desserts so I’m loving that good quality chocolate is finding its way into more and more accessible locations. It used to be that you’d have to special order it or seek it out in gourmet groceries, but it is increasingly more available and that makes baking all the more fun! I like to use “the good stuff” in recipes where it really has a chance to stand out, such as in peppermint bark, chocolate cheesecake, or truffles.

3. What would we typically find in your fridge?
Amazingly, you’d probably never know that I’m a huge baker (aside from the large stash of unsalted butter and two 18-count cartons of eggs)! I typically try to eat pretty healthy so you’d find low-fat milk, carrots, celery, lettuce and/or spinach and fresh vegetables for salads, a batch of homemade hummus, a variety of cheeses, pepperoni (I AM Italian, can’t live without it!), jars of active and instant yeast, and all of those other miscellaneous condiments that collect over time.

4. Who are your favourite cookbook authors? Why do you like those particular people?Dorie Greenspan, first and foremost. I received “Baking: From My Home to Yours” as a Christmas gift last year and immediately started baking from it as Tuesdays With Dorie was born. I am amazed at Dorie’s ability to talk through a recipe like she’s standing right next to you and telling you exactly what to expect along the way. A lot of cookbooks are like getting direction from Mapquest – “drive 5 miles, turn left, drive 2 miles, turn right, etc.” Dorie’s books are like getting directions from a friend – “You’ll drive a little past the old post office, will probably see Fred standing outside, go a little while further past the park, etc.” Baking from her cookbooks makes it feel like you have a wise friend in the kitchen with you.
My other favorites come from America’s Test Kitchens. While they are not authored by an individual I cannot think of a single recipe that has not turned out perfect. They spend so much time perfecting classic recipes that it’s hard to go wrong.

5. What is your favourite food blog? Which blogs do you read daily and simply couldn't live without?
My favorite food blog is Smitten Kitchen. Deb strikes such a great balance between sweet and savory in the way of what her blog offers, and I absolutely consider her an expert in all things culinary. She does a wonderful job explaining her creations and I love her back stories – that, coupled with her outstanding photography, make me want to tackle every recipe she posts.

Other blogs that I read daily include:
Annie’s Eats
Joy the Baker
My Sweet and Saucy
The Hyper Homemaker

6. What is your guilty food pleasure? And who makes it?
Oh this is a tough one, especially since I love decadent desserts. But I’m going to shock everyone by going savory here – I absolutely love good burgers, and even better if they are bacon cheeseburgers. And you can’t have a burger without fries! So there it is – a juicy bacon cheeseburger with fries, definitely my guilty food pleasure.

7. You just opened up a new business, Buona Dulce. Where do you see Buona Dulce heading in the next year? What are your long-term objectives, three to five years?Within the next year I would like to see Buona Dolce establish a recurring client base that comes back when in need of anything baking-related, whether it be for birthdays or anniversaries, holidays, graduations, any special event.

As far as long-term objectives over the next three to five years, my goal is for Buona Dolce to be successful enough to be my sole source of income. Additionally, I would like the business to become a prominent player in the wedding market.

8. Since Opening Buona Dulce, what has been your greatest success and greatest failure?My greatest success was the zebra birthday cake that I did recently. It was my first paid order that didn’t come from family or close friends and the client absolutely loved it.

My greatest failure was probably part of my first cookie order that I recently blogged about. Since I needed to deliver it the day after I was holding my open house I had about four straight days of non-stop baking. I had a string of very late nights and very early mornings and wish I would have planned out my time in a much more structured manner. As a result of being a little harried and low on sleep, I ended up icing the top of the Black & White cookies instead of the flat bottom, and I couldn’t figure out why they didn’t look smooth. The client raved about them, though, so I’m not sure I would label it a true failure – more a lesson on how to plan ahead better when I have large orders to fill!

9. You recently ran a post that discussed your participation in an online group called Daring Bakers. What made you decide to join this group?I have been a member of Daring Bakers for a little over a year now and am so thrilled that I decided to join. The catalyst for me was seeing a number of challenges pop up in blogs that I had been reading frequently. The completed challenges looked so incredibly difficult, but I was in awe that these people were trying difficult things and succeeding at them! I really embraced the idea of pushing my baking comfort zone into areas that I would likely not venture on my own and without the nudge of an outside force. Thanks to the Daring Bakers I have conquered many things (most notably pastry cream!) that I would have previously dubbed outside my realm of expertise.

10. When you wake up in the morning what are 5 strategies that you use to get inspired to bake/decorate/write, and to help stir the creative juices, if you are not in the mood to bake or blog?Good question! These are things that usually help me get moving in terms of both baking and blogging:

1. My friend Annie and I bake and blog together on a somewhat regular basis. This really helps because it’s almost like the equivalent of having a workout buddy to go to the gym with. Even though sometimes you might not feel like doing it, someone is waiting on you so there is a sense of accountability and it keeps us trying new things.

2. I started something on my blog over the summer that has been a great source of inspiration and keeping the creative juices flowing – the “My 100” list. For a long while I had been thinking about all of the things I wanted to try in the kitchen and then started writing them down so I didn’t forget. Taking it a step further, I decided to dedicate a page on my blog to the list, as it is said that when you write down your goals you are more likely to meet them, and even more likely if you share them with others. And so there it is – an ever-evolving list of the culinary feats I hope to conquer. When I am stumped about what to make or blog about next, I often consult that list.

3. I love flipping through my cookbooks for ideas. I own a significant number of them and sometimes I forget about all of the great ideas that they hold!

4. Although it might sound somewhat corny, thinking about my readers will usually give me the kick in the pants I need to get moving. I think about the blogs that I love reading and how disappointed I am when I don’t see new things for awhile. I’m aware that I have a good number of “regular” readers and as a result, I want to make sure they continue to have great experiences associated with reading my blog.

5. Much like cookbooks, I will browse a lot of the food blogs that I follow on a regular basis, as well as food photography sites such as Tastespotting, FoodGawker, and Photograzing. So many times things will just pop out at me and I want to run into the kitchen and make it immediately.

And as a Special Treat, Michelle has given us her favorite receipe for Dirty Risotto. YUMMY!!

Dirty Risotto (original recipe by Giada De Laurentiis)
Ingredients:
5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons butter
1 lb. sweet Italian sausage, casing removed
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
4 ounces button mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, bring the broth to a simmer. Cover the broth and keep warm over low heat.

In a large heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the sausage and saute until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms and saute until tender, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the rice and stir to coat. Add the wine and simmer until the wine has almost completely evaporated, about 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup of simmering broth and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking the rice, adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition of broth to absorb before adding the next, until the rice is tender but still firm to the bite and the mixture is creamy, about 25 to 30 minutes total. Remove from the heat. Stir in 3/4 of the Parmesan. Transfer the risotto to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with the parsley and remaining Parmesan and serve immediately.

City Girl Aprons

BIG Thanks to Clara over at I ♥ Cuppycakes for introducing me to City Girl Aprons at Shop Suey Boutique. Those have to be the cutest aprons i've ever seen. They are definately a must-have for any baker or self proclaimed chef. I'm sure my wallet will not appreciate the dent that it is going to have when I'm done shopping. But the bakers in my life will be well-pleased. :)

Here are two of my favorite prints, courtesy of Shop Suey Boutique.

Guest Blogger: Shirley - Plum Bush Cottage

Today's Guest blogger is from the cozy corner of the internet known as Plum Bush Cottage. The ever so warm musings mixed with the amazing recipes of homemade love by Shirley always bring a smile to my face. Be sure to visit Plum Bush Cottage and see for yourself just how inviting it truly is. Shirley has been so kind to provide us with a little more insight into her life and even added a holiday recipe as a bonus!!

My name is Shirley and I'm an online shopper. I love it. I only go to stores now if I have to...or if there is an outstanding sale. One of the best things about online shopping is being able to track my packages. I can see every stop on their trip to my door. I picture them in the back of an 18-wheeler, traveling the Interstate on their first leg of the journey, rumbling across the country on their way to my door. Which states will they travel through? Where will they overnight? When I finally see they have arrived at the UPS center nearby and read those magical words, Out For Delivery, I know it will be only a matter of hours before I hear the chime of the doorbell. There really must be a support group for people like me.

My most recent excitement was awaiting the delivery of my Cuisinart Multi-Clad Pro Stainless Steel 12 piece cookware set. I couldn't wait to get it so I could finally get rid of the jumble of old pots and pans left over from various cookware sets collected over the years.

If you knew me a few years ago, you wouldn't believe I could get this excited over some pots and pans. I hated to cook and honestly, I wasn't very good at it. I would commute back and forth to work...an hour each way, work at a stressful job in a prison, shop for food on the way home, run errands, cart the kids around...then try to come up with something edible for dinner. The first words I would hear when I came dragging into the house was, "What's for dinner?" I would throw something together, knowing it was nothing different and probably not that great. I'd set it on the table and what would I hear? "Eeeww I don't like that!" or "Not that again!"

I vowed that once the children were out of the house for good I would never cook again. I kept that vow. There wasn't a pizza joint or Chinese restaurant within a 5 mile radius that didn't know me by my first name. Then I retired and entered into a serious relationship. I had time to plan menus and shop. Since the kids were on their own, I no longer had to budget so I could purchase the best quality ingredients. Even more fun, we often cook together…romance and food, a great combination. Suddenly cooking was fun. No one was more surprised than me!

Then I took it a step further and began writing about food and cooking. This I am rather new at. I started blogging on Multiply.com a couple of years ago and eventually began posting some of my recipes. I saw that they were of interest to some people, so I recently set up shop at Blogspot and have devoted that blog to my Domestic Goddess side, but focusing mainly on cooking. My long term goal is to develop a family cookbook…not for publishing…just to give to my children and grandchildren with the hope that they pass it down through the generations.
There is one down side to this cooking thing…I cook what I like, eat what I cook, and as a result, my jeans have shrunk considerably.

So on most days you can find me at home, barefoot in the kitchen (or in fuzzy slippers in the winter) putting together something like this……

Citrus Marinated Roasted Chicken
Citrus Marinade:
¼ cup orange zest

2 cups fresh orange juice

8 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tsp. red pepper flakes

4 sprigs fresh rosemary

4 sprigs fresh thyme

1 Tbsp. whole black peppercorns
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 (5 lb.) roasting chicken

¾ tsp. kosher salt
Coarsely ground black pepper

Combine all marinade ingredients in a large bowl, large enough to hold the chicken and to allow the marinade to rise high enough to coat at least half the chicken. Rinse chicken well and pat dry. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in marinade. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, or overnight, turning chicken several times to evenly marinate.
Preheat oven to 425F.

Remove chicken from marinade and place in a roasting pan. Strain marinade, reserving solids and liquid. Stuff solids into the cavity of chicken. Pour liquid around chicken in pan. Roast 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350F and continue roasting, basting chicken every 30 minutes with pan juices, for 1¼-1½ hours. Tent with aluminum foil if the skin browns too quickly.

Let chicken stand 10 minutes before carving.

Citrus Gravy:
1 cup reserved pan drippings from turkey

¼ cup 2% milk
1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1/8 tsp. salt
Coarsely ground black pepper

Place pan drippings in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Combine milk and flour, whisking until smooth. Whisk milk mixture into drippings, stirring until thickened. Add salt and pepper. Makes 1¼ cups gravy.

Bon Appetit!

That simply sounds amazing!! Thank you Shirley for sharing more about yourself, your blog and your amazing cooking!!

Guest Blogger: Bridget - Bake at 350*

This week is Guest Blogger week. And to kick us off strong is Bridget from Bake at 350*. She just celebrated her one year Blogaversary and has amazing skill with cookie decorating. If you haven't checked her out yet, please do. You will love her stunning work. One of her more inspirational designs can be seen here in her LiveStrong post...Now on to our intriguing interview...

















1. Where do you see Bake at 350* heading in the next year? What are your long-term objectives, three to five years?
Wow...I really want to focus on some new designs next year. Secretly (or maybe now, not so secretly), I'd love to work on some cookies for a magazine. That would be a dream for me! :) I'm a little shy about "selling myself," so I'm not sure how that will come to pass! Teaching a cookie decorating class would be fun, too.

2. You just celebrated 1 year blogging! Happy Blogiversary! Where did you get your inspiration for your cookie designs?

Everywhere!!! Sometimes just the cookie cutters themselves...also from cards, children's books, blogs, etc. The "Friendly Frank" Halloween cookie idea came from a plate in a Pottery Barn Kids catalog.

3. From the general tone of your blog it is quite obvious that you are doing what you love. How receptive was your family to the idea of "blogging & baking" during the early months?

My husband has always encouraged me to do what I love. When I sold my cookies, he frequently made deliveries for me and offered design advice (only when asked!!!). I don't think he reads the blog regularly, but he sure eats up all of my mistakes! :)

4. What is the one blog that you read every day and couldn't live without?
The Daily Diaper...my nephew's blog. I look at it several times a day!

5. You recently ran a post that discussed your participation in an online group called Operation Baking Gals. What made you decide to join this group?
My brother-in-law Mike just returned home from Iraq. My dad served in Vietnam. It's just a little way to show soldiers that they are appreciated back home.

6. If you could start over again, what would you do to make your blog better or different? Besides your success in the blogging world, what achievements are you most proud in your life?
I probably wouldn't edit myself as much. Sometimes, I write something and then go back and delete, afraid it won't come across on the blog the way I mean it. The blog could definitely be more professional looking and I really should take more time learning about photography. What I'm most proud of...no achievements, really....my husband, a good marriage, a neat kid and a very cool extended family!

7. As bakers, we all have things we could live without, but would never want to. What five items in your kitchen are "grab in case of fire" items?
OK...my red Kitchen Aid stand mixer, heart shaped measuring cups & spoons, red silicone rolling pin, as many cookie cutters as I can grab, and, of course, beer! :)

8. I know you homeschool your son and still manage to be apart of Operation Baking Gals, bake cookies for various events and keep your blog updated with fun inspiring creations. What advice would you give to new bakers/bloggers as they venture into the blogging world?
Don't stress about posting something everyday. One of my favorite blogs is Bakerella. She doesn't post everyday, but when she does, it's fabulous!

9. Your ability to deliver an insightful and easy to follow "how to" blog is quite amazing and appreciated by many on the net. Where did you learn to perfect your baking skills?
Gosh...trial & error! We're getting ready for a move and I uncovered some OLD pictures of my cookies. They were awful! I had no idea what I was doing until I saw Martha Stewart make cookies on her (old) TV show. I thought Bake at 350 could be a place for people wanting to know where, and how, to start.

10. When you wake up in the morning what are 5 strategies that you use to get inspired to bake/decorate/write, and to help stir the creative juices, if you are not in the mood to bake or blog?
1. I like to eat, so I'm always thinking about what I'm going to bake/eat next. :)
2. Every morning, I check my Google Reader. I have, oh, a million or so blogs that I love to read. :) Those are inspiration.
3. Martha...if she can raise chickens, host a television show, bake 72 organic plum puddings for friends, emboss her own Christmas cards (using a hand made design), and make pinecones into glittering winter animals, then surely, I can get off my butt and make a dozen cookies!
4. I've been trying to do more baking for other people...that makes the process fun and it's not just about the blog.
5. Family, friends and holidays are probably my ultimate inspiration.