Log Cabin Gingerbread House

My family has been building Gingerbread Houses every Christmas for as far back as I can remember.  My mom would make all of the house pieces and royal icing, and everyone would get to create their own.  This year, we are changing things a tiny bit.  Instead of my mom making the gingerbread pieces, I am taking on that (rather large, I now realize) duty.  So, being me, I had to do a trial run before I make mass quantities of walls, doors, and roofs.  I am excited to share this family tradition with you. 

This entire house is edible, and the gingerbread tastes really good.  I did not use royal icing to construct my house.  Although royal icing is the strongest and most secure for building, I feel that it is fairly inedible (don't get me wrong, it actually is edible, I just hate it).  I used an edible frosting (that actually tastes good), and my (very heavy) house still stayed together.You can find a great tutorial on gingerbread houses here, including recipes, tips, and templates. 

Gingerbread House

Dough:
3/4 cup (6 ounces) buttermilk
6 Tablespoons (3 ounces) butter or margarine
1 cup (8 ounces) brown sugar
1/2 cup (6 ounces) molasses
1 large egg
5 cups (21 1/3 ounces) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Edible Gingerbread House Frosting:
1/2 cup shortening
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
4 Tablespoons hot water

Assorted edible decorations of your choice:  Candy, cookies, chocolates, jelly beans, etc.

Put the buttermilk and butter in a large measuring cup and microwave it until the butter is just melted.  Pour this into the bowl of a stand mixer, and add the brown sugar, molasses, and egg.  Beat this together until combined.  In a separate bowl, whisk one cup of the flour, the spices, salt and baking soda together and add to the wet mixture.  Mix until incorporated, then add the rest of the flour, one cup at a time until you have a smooth, stiff dough (you may need to use a little extra flour - that is okay).  The dough should not be crumbly or sticky.  Divide the dough in half, wrap each portion in plastic then flatten before chilling for at least one hour. 

After the dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 350F.  Take one disc of dough from the refrigerator and roll it out on a piece of parchment paper to between 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick.  Use any gingerbread house template you like, and cut out the pieces in the dough (with at least 1/2 inch between the pieces to allow for expansion in the oven).  Peel away the scraps, and transfer the parchment (with the house pieces still on it) to a baking sheet.  Bake the gingerbread for 15 to 17 minutes, or until the edges are just lightly browned.  Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes before removing from the parchment to a wire rack.  Repeat this process with the rest of the dough, and your pattern.  Let the baked pieces sit out overnight to help them to harden.

For the frosting, beat the shortening and extracts for about one minute.  Add half of the sugar, and beat well.  Add half of the hot water, and mix well.  Beat in the rest of the sugar, then enough of the remaining water to reach the desired consistency.  Put the frosting in a 16 inch piping bag with a star tip (or a large plastic bag with a corner cut off). 

Assemble the house (except the roof), piping lines of frosting along the inside seams for strength.  Do not put the roof on quite yet.  Decorate the roof while it is still flat on your work surface (I used crushed frosted shredded wheat).  This will provide the least amount of stress on your structure, and help to prevent a cave-in.  After the roof is decorated, decorate the rest of the house however you like.  Put the roof on last, then add any smaller embellishments.  I used Pirouette cookies for the logs, lattice shaped pretzels for the windows and door, and M&Ms for the the top of the roof.  The chimney is constructed with tootsie rolls, and covered with Quaker Oat Squares.  The snowman is sculpted out of gingerbread and coated in white chocolate.  The stone walkway is made from rock colored jelly beans, and the tree is a sucker, covered in M&Ms.  Have fun!  Get creative!  Make it as fancy or plain as you like.  The sky is the limit with these fun Christmas projects.

Enjoy!  -Cardamommy

Butterscotch Blondies

I recieved a request to make blondies a couple of days ago, so here is what I came up with.  They are not super glamorous, but a quick and easy, comforting treat.  They have a good butterscotch flavor, and the peanut butter and chocolate chips are not overpowering.  It is a little difficult to tell when these are done, because when you pull the toothpick out from the center, it is covered with marshmallow goo.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with marshmallow goo, just do the best you can. 

Butterscotch Blondies

6 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup butterscotch chips
3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup mini marshmallows
1/2 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

In a microwavable bowl, melt butter and butterscotch chips (carefully so as not to scorch the chips) in the microwave.  Stir until smooth, then cool.  In a mixing bowl, combine te flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Add the egg, vanilla, and butterscotch  mixture and mix well.  Fold in the marshmallows, peanut butter chips, chocolate chips.

Spread batter into a well greased 8x8 inch square pan.  Bake at 350F for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool completely on a cooling rack.  Cut into bars.  Makes 12 blondies.

Enjoy!  -Cardamommy

Christmas Meringues

A few weeks ago my sister asked me if I wanted to do a Christmas cookie exchange with her. Um, of course!! Do you really need to ask me that question or give me another excuse to bake like a maniac (Yes, maniac. I'm fairly certain my roommates think I'm kind of a psycho.)? So began the hunt for three Christmas cookie recipes. I had the hardest time choosing three, but I finally did it (pictures, posts, and recipes to follow very soon). Two of the recipes called for an egg yolk each. Since I didn't want to throw away the whites, I began thinking of what I could do with them. That's when I came across this recipe. I have never made meringue(s) before (and actually have never eaten one as a "cookie" either). So I decided to try it out.

A word of warning: If you are borrowing an electric mixer, make sure it works before you start! Trust me on this one. I cracked my eggs, separated the whites out, mixed in some tartar, and got my mixer ready. My finger on the mixer trigger, I was ready to whip these eggs like it was nobody's business. I grabbed the bowl, flipped the mixer switch, and...that was about it. It was completely broken. I texted everybody I knew; nobody owned a mixer. So I started beating my whites by hand. That was fun for about 2 minutes. I switched to the "let's be a boyscout and build a fire by spinning this stick between my hands" method and that proved to be fairly successful. However, there was no way I was going to get stiff peaks beating this stuff by hand. Thankfully, I'm a genius, and with some clever jury-rigging I managed to employ my little Bosch to help me make my meringue.

I didn't know what to expect out of these. When I popped one in my mouth, I was completely surprised to find it crunchy, light, and pleasantly delicious. They were so fun to make and I find them to be tasty little snacks for now and then. I used this recipe, added a little, and came up with the following:

3 Egg whites

1/4 tsp Cream of tartar

3/4 Cup Sugar

1/2 tsp Vanilla extract

red/green sprinkles

Separate the egg whites into a large metal bowl. Be absolutely sure no yolk is in the whites. If there is, the whites won't whip up. Add cream of tartar to the whites. Beat with a mixer until soft peaks form. Add sugar slowly, one tablespoon at a time (while still beating). After all the sugar is added, beat until whites are stiff and glossy. Add vanilla. Beat for 30 more seconds.

Position oven racks in upper and lower thirds. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper (put a dot of meringue under each corner to prevent moving). Fill a 1-quart plastic bag with meringue. You may also use a pastry set if you have one. Snip the tip off the bag (about 1/2 inch hole) and pipe rising swirls at a 90 degree angle to the pan. Make them about 1.5 inches thick at the base, and space them about 1/2 inch apart. Sprinkle with sprinkles or leave plain. Bake for 1.5 hours. Let cool for 15 minutes.

Mahlzeit!
-Coriaunty

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Lemon Filling

What do you do when you have a teeny tiny pie pumpkin and an already zested lemon?  Bake and puree the pumpkin, squeeze the lemon, and make whoopie...pies.  This batch makes about nine or ten medium sized whoopie pies, but the number will depend on the size scoop that you use.  The cookie is nice and soft and mildly spiced, and the filling has a nice lemon flavor, despite having no zest.  All hail the random ingredients, yeah?

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Lemon Filling

Whoopie Pies:
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1 egg
5 ounces (about 1/2 cup) pumpkin puree (I used homemade, canned should work as well)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Lemon Filling:
2 1/2 cups (10 ounces) powdered sugar
1/2 cup (3 1/4 ounces) vegetable shortening
juice of one large lemon

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  To make the whoopie pies, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.  In a medium bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the egg and vanilla and beat well until combined.  Beat in the pumpkin puree.  Add the flour mixture and beat on low until just combined.  Scoop the batter onto the parchment lined baking sheet using a small cookie scoop.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly browned and the top of the cookie is set.  Remove cookies from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before filling.

To make the lemon filling, beat the powdered sugar and shortening in a medium size bowl (it will be crumbly).  Beat in enough of the lemon juice to make a soft, fluffy filling (I used all of the juice).  Beat on high until filling is light and fluffy.  Turn half of the cooled cookies upside down, and using the same size scoop as used for the batter, scoop the filling onto the overturned cookies.  Top with another cookie and press lightly to spread the filling to the edges.

Enjoy!  -Cardamommy

No Knead White Bread

I have never really been a big fan of no knead bread. I always find it lacking in some capacity. This one, however, is definitely not lacking. I love it and will be making it again and again. The crust is crunchy and chewy, and the inside is tender, soft, and has a great texture. The best thing? It is so simple to put together, and then lives in the refrigerator until you need to use it. The longer it sits, the tangier and tastier it gets. For a loaf of amazing fresh bread on the fly, you need not look anywhere else. Recipe adapted slightly from here.

No Knead White Bread

3 cups (24 ounces) lukewarm water

6 1/2 to 7 1/2 cups (32 ounces) all purpose flour
1 Tablespoon salt
1 1/2 Tablespoons instant yeast

Combine all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix and stir everything together to make a very sticky, rough dough. By stand mixer, beat at medium speed for 30 to 60 seconds. By hand, just stir well until everything is combined.

Transfer dough to a greased 6-quart food-safe bucket (I use a giant ice cream bucket), and cover with a lid or plastic wrap. Let dough rise at room temperature for two hours, then refrigerate for at least two hours, or up to seven days.

To bake a loaf of bread, sprinkle the top of the dough with flour, grease your hands, and pull off about 1/4 to 1/3 of the dough (I use a 20 ounce piece of dough). On a floured work surface, shape the dough into a round ball or a log. Place the dough on a piece of parchment (if using a baking stone), or a greased baking sheet, or a greased 8 x 4 inch loaf pan and dust the top of the dough with flour. Le the dough rise for 45 to 60 minutes, and preheat your oven (and baking stone, if using) to 450F. When you are ready to put the bread in the oven, take a sharp knife and slash the bread two or three times, making the cuts about 1/2 inch deep to allow the bread to expand. It is okay if the dough deflates a little. Place the bread in the oven (on the baking stone, if using), and bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until it is a deep golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Makes three or four loaves, depending on size.

Note: You can also bake this in an 8 x 4 inch loaf pan if you prefer to use it for sandwiches. It is not quite as crusty as when using the baking stone, but still turns out very well. If using a loaf pan, cut the dough lengthwise from end to end in order for the bread to expand completely.

Enjoy! -Cardamommy

Almond Joy Truffles

Does the thought of making truffles cause you to run to the corner and hide behind your apron? Well, fear not my fellow culinary creators! It's simple. I used a very basic truffle recipe found here to cook up some Almond Joy Truffles. The truffles are so smooth, creamy, and buttery; they really do melt in your mouth (and in your hand, for that matter...so eat 'em up!).

I found that making 20 truffles was not enough--not that I needed more, just that there was too much chocolate in relation to the size of the almond inside each truffle. The almond got lost inside, and every person who ate a truffle was very surprised to suddenly find a tiny little nut in the middle. Instead of working together, the chocolate dominated the flavor of the almond.

All in all this is a delicious recipe that is so easy and takes so little time. Do I have future modifications? Indeed! I want to add some almond extract to the chocolate to help the almond speak up a bit. I also will make smaller chocolate portions so the almond does not get lost. For the calorie-conscious, I will be trying this recipe with milk instead of cream. I have no idea if it will work and be delicious, or if it will fail and be the most disgusting thing ever. But I will post either way!

1/3 Heavy cream

4 T Butter
8 oz dark chocolate (or chocolate of your choice), coarsely chopped

20 almonds, toasted

sweetened flaked coconut, toasted

In a small saucepan, heat cream and butter over medium heat until hot. Stir in chocolate until melted. Chill in refrigerator or freezer for a few hours until it is firm. Make sure it's not too hard but be careful so it does not become to warm and soft. Roll into (at least) 20 balls, placing an almond in the center of each. Roll the truffle in toasted coconut.

Mahlzeit!

-Coriaunty

Happy Birthday and a Newspaper Column

I am (unfortunately) having a birthday this week, but am lucky to have a husband willing take on the task of making a birthday cake. I was going to make my own birthday cake, but he gallantly offered to take on the culinary challenge. So....fine. He had to scrap the original plan when one of our Hungry Puppies became very distressed that the cake wouldn't be black and white (my favorite colors). Dark brown and white-ish were apparently close enough. He made the cake (from scratch, I might add), and I made the filling and frosted the cake (at his request so that it would look edible). The cake was yummy...not bad for my non-baker husband.

He also, unbeknownst to me, wrote a community column spotlighting this blog. I like to fly under the radar. I don't think that this qualifies. However, I do appreciate the free advertising of this blog to the entire region.

Almost White Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Cake:
2 sticks butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
3 cups self-rising flour
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Chocolate Cream Filling:
One 7 ounce jar marshmallow fluff
1/2 cup shortening
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 heaping Tablespoon black cocoa powder
1/2 - 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons very hot water
Pinch - 1/8 teaspoon salt

Chocolate Frosting of your choice (we used storebought (long story) but homemade is best).

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans, and one extra pan for the remaining batter (the recipe makes three 9-inch layers, but we did two layers and used the remaining batter for something else. You can do cupcakes, or a separate one layer...whatever.)

Using an electric mixer, cream butter until fluffy. Add sugar and continue to cream until well blended and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour and buttermilk alternately to creamed mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Add vanilla and almond extracts and bead until just blended. Pour 1/3 of the batter into each of the two cake pans (use the remaining 1/3 for something else). Gently drop each pan flat on the counter a couple of times to release some air bubbles and to help produce a more level cake.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean. Cool in pans 5 to 10 minutes, then turn out onto cooling racks. Cool completely.

To make the filling, combine marshmallow fluff, shortening, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla and beat until well blended and fluffy. Combine hot water and salt in a small bowl, and swirl until salt dissolves. Add salt water to filling, and beat well.

Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread all of the filling evenly over the layer, then top with the second cake layer. Frost the top and sides of the cake with chocolate frosting.

Enjoy! -Cardamommy