TWD: Fresh Ginger and Chocolate Gingerbread

This weeks tuesday with Dorie was chosen by Heather of Sherry Trifle. 

I really really love a nice, spicy gingerbread. It makes you think of the holidays all over again.

When I saw this weeks choice was gingerbread, I got excited.

I decided, at the last minute to not put the chocolate icing on top, I think it was probably cause I was just lazy, but i'm sure it would've tasted great.

I had it for dessert, but the rest of my family nibbled on some pieces for breakfast the next morning. This was a great, tasty recipe!

Thanks Heather!

Brioche !

No TWD this week, way too stressed with finals. =/

But I DID try a different recipe from Dorie's book. This Brioche recipe.

After making those sticky buns, I really got inspired to try and make breads.

So I went through Dories book and found this recipe.

I'm not going to lie, it does take work, and a lonnnng waiting time(hours for rising INCLUDING the overnight fridge chill). But let me tell you...it was SO worth it!

After they're out of the oven, you have the most amazing, mouth watering smell of fresh baked bread. My kitchen smelled like a pastry shop. It was fantastic.

It was really hard to wait until the loaves finished cooling, before my family and I sliced right into them. But that first, warm bite was alllllll worth it. Sweet, flakey, and DELICIOUS!

My parents even said it was one of the best breads they'd ever tasted! And it really was.

I sliced, and toasted these and served them with dinner. But they should really be toasted with jam and butter for breakfast. Mmmm. 

I'm not going to post the recipe, cause it's way too long to type, but if you have Dories book(pretty much everyone), I highly recommend trying it.

Pecan Sticky Buns

EVERYTIME my grandparents come over and i've made some dessert,my grandpa ALWAYS begs me to make him pecan stick buns. He tells me the stories of how when my mom was growing up he'd constantly make all these homemade breads, and rolls, and buns, and that sticky buns were the best thing he's ever made.

Well, i've never made sticky buns before, so I was very excited to start. This recipe is from the Better Homes baking book, and didn't look too hard to do. And to my excitement, wasn't at all!

My grandparents were just arriving as I was inverting them onto a plate, and the house smelled absolutely AMAZING. After dinner, I served them to my grandpa and waited anxiously for his reaction. After a nice big bite, all of a sudden he JUMPS up and gives me the BIGGEST hug ever. He said they were amazing, and one of the best sticky buns he's ever had! I was so happy! Even my dad had 2, and my brother warmed up 2 this morning for breakfast! 

If you like sticky buns, I recommend making these for your families. It'll make you feel SO good.

Pecan Sticky Buns

from the Better Homes baking book

2 tsp active dry yeast

1-1/4 cups warm water

3 tblsp butter, softened 

3 tblsp sugar

2 tblsp nonfat dry milk powder

1 tsp salt

3 to 3-1/4 cups bread flour

FILLING:

1/3 cup butter softened

1 tblsp sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

SAUCE:

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup corn syrup

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the butter, sugar, milk powder, salt and 2 cups flour; beat on low speed for 3 minutes. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.

2. turn onto a floured surface, knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

3. punch dough down. turn onto a lightly floured surface, roll into a 16in. x 10inch rectangle. spread with butter; sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. roll up jelly-roll style, starting from a long side; pinch seam to seal. cut into 12 slices; set aside.

4. in a saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup; cook over medium heat until the sugar is disolved. stir in pecans. pour into a greased 13x9in. baking pan. place rolls cut side down over sauce. cover and let rise until double about 1 hour.

5. bake at 375 for 20-25 min. or until golden brown. cool for 3 min. invert onto a serving platter.

DEVOUR!

Low-Fat Blueberry Bran Muffins

This sunday afternoon, I somehow got inspired to make some muffins. Then I thought hmm, I havn't made HEALTHY muffins in a while. Esspecially how EVERYONE is trying to keep their new years resolution to eat healthier, why not try and make something a bit healthier for once??

So I went to Allrecipes and searched "Healthy Muffins", and saw these. I also noticed how it was the highest rated healthy muffin recipe with almost 300 ratings. And I knew I had a bunch of blueberries in my fridge...so off I went!

These were extremely easy to put together, and they will be coming with me to school tomorrow morning and will be feeding 30 hungry fellow dance team members of mine...not to mention since these are healthy muffins, each 1 of them are under 100 calories! SCORE!

Low -fat Blueberry Bran Muffins

1 1/2 cups wheat bran

1 cup nonfat milk

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce(nonfat frozen yogurt could be used if you don't have the applesauce)

1 egg

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 375. Grease muffins cups or use paper liners. Mix together wheat bran and milk, and let stand for 10 minutes.

2. In a large bowl mix together applesauce, egg, brown sugar, and vanilla. Beat in bran mixture. Sift together all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir into bran mixture until just blended. Fold in blueberries. Scoop into muffin cups.

3. Bake for 15-20 min. or until tops spring back when lightly touched. ENJOY!

P.S. I know my team will be EXTREMELY surprised when I tell them I baked something healthy!...i'll let you all know what they think =]]

TWD: French Pear Tart

This weeks TWD was chosen by no other than herself, the women from whom we get all these AMAZING recipes, Dorie Greenspan.

When I looked at who this recipe was picked by, I knew it had to be a pretty good one. So I made it right away, and it served it to my family this weekend.

This tart was absolutely amazing. And i'm glad to say that it was very easy to make as well. I loved the thick, sweet dough, and the almond cream complemented the pears beautifully. 

I will definitely make this again soon.

Thanks Dorie!

Banana Banana Bread

I had 6 insanely ripe bananas sitting on my counter today, and my mom told me I should do something with them or she was going to just throw them away.

Well, you don't just throw away ripe bananas!

So I came across this recipe on the Allrecipes website and it had 3,522 reviews ALL say how absolutely AMAZING this banana bread was. Of course I had to try it out.

I'm happy to say those 3,522 people were so right! This really was the best banana bread recipe.

Although, this really isn't a dessert, but more of a breakfast bread cause of basic and not as sweet it is compared to a banana "cake". I really recommend trying this.

2 cups All purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs, beaten

2 1/3 cups mashed bananas (aprox. 5-6 bananas)

preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl combine flour, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture, stir just to moisten. Pour batter into pan.

Bake in oven for 60-65 min. or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. 

DEVOUR. 

HAPPY "Funfetti" NEW YEAR!!!

I'm back!!!...after a long and STRESSFUL few weeks, i'm back and will hopefully be posting more often. I've been baking a lot lately, but just havn't had the time to sit down and do a full on write up...but now that the new year's FINALLY started, it's time to turn over a new leaf and get stuff done !

With that said, I am presenting you with this new years 09' FUNFETTI cake!

...So I used a boxed mix..SUE ME.

But where I lacked in using the cake mix(which came out SO good, as it always does), I gained in making my own from scratch vanilla buttercream.

I made the cake 2 layers, then frosted it all with my frosting....

The frosting came out SO good! It complemented the cake very well, and had just the right amount of sweetness to it.

I'm glad to say the cake came out great. All my friends loved it and it's practically all gone.

It took me basically no time at all, and it was a great dessert to end the new year!

Hope everyone had a fantastic night!

Happy new year!!