Weekly Creations

My Husband's Pecan Pie
Hello everyone!

Nothing to worry about. I am still here. I haven't died, or given up on my dream. I just have been really sick lately. I've had a cold for the last three weeks, and I thought that I should give myself a well deserved break to rest and try to regain my health. But did you think a little thing like a cold would keep me from baking? No, sir. It was my husband's birthday and I surely didn't want to disappoint. I made him a pecan pie.

The funny thing about my husband and I is that we have completely different tastes when it comes to desserts. I love the classics such as chocolate chip cookies, apple pie, etc. He on the other hand loves the things I can't stand in baked goods, such as nuts and coconut. His favorite cake: German Chocolate, his favorite cookie: white chocolate macadamia nut, his favorite pie: pecan pie. It has really help me expand baking things that I don't like, but every October I know that whatever he wants, I probably won't eat.

As I was making the pecan pie, it didn't look like the classic ones I have seen. This could be the fact that I used crush pecans instead of whole. Even with this one little hiccup, my husband said it tasted like a pecan pie. He really loved it!

Being a baker, I have to try everything I make. So I tried my pecan pie and I actually liked it. I have been noticing that the things I use to dislike, such as pineapple, and nuts with sweets, I have been growing to like. Still I am not a big fan of coconut. The only thing with coconut I have tried and like are these hay stack cookies my mom makes. The other ingredients in the cookies masks the texture of the coconut.

As I continue on an other tangent, I just want to say that in my near future (starting today) I will be baking something everyday to prepare for my church's women's day event. I am making all the desserts. Please send my your encouraging thoughts, because I know I will be freaking out some days. This is my first big order and I want to make it perfect as possible. This means that I will not have any new blog post for Tuesday Tips or Wednesday Recipes until after the 2nd of November. I know it's a bummer, but not all hope is lost. I will be posting picture and possible small tidbits about the items I will be making, so stay tuned.

Kirsten

Friday: A Day of Baking

This Friday I baked three different items. One was with my two year olds at work and the other two were for my church's women Bunco Night. 

This week's letter to teach at school was the letter M. For two year olds, we are trying to teach them recognizing real world object compared to a picture. One of my favorite children's book is If You Give a Moose a Muffin. I thought what better than to act like moose and make muffin?

During the process of making the mini-muffins we added too much milk! So in the last minute I added some more flour and sugar to help the batter. Luckily, the muffins came out tasting like muffins, and my two year olds ate about 5 of them. 

The second item I made was a prize two special ladies could win in playing Bunco. I made single apple crisp in a jar. The recipe will be showing up on Wednesday Recipes. I made it with locally grown apples and it came out looking cute!

The last creation of Friday was Strawberry Blueberry cupcakes with a gummy bear on top. One of my friends gave me the challenge to use something "gummy" in my next creation, and I stayed true to that. One of my good friends said that the gummy bear just pulled everything together. I did use a box mix for the strawberry cake, even though I have made a strawberry cake with my mom using my grandma's recipe. The frosting, however, I did make from scratch, and it came out looking a purplish pink. I would have liked it to be more purple, but it turned out that the cupcakes matched the decorations perfectly. 

Kirsten

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I made chocolate chip cookies for one of my co-workers birthday this week. I shared the cookies with my kids and they LOVED them. They said it was the best cookie they have every had. This made me feel so honored. 

As I was making these cookies something amazing happened, which was by accident. I whipped the butter and sugar mixture for a long while and it made the batter really smooth. After baking for 10 minutes, the cookies came out with the perfect balance of crunch and softness. 

Kirsten

Last Taste of Summer

This week I had the amazing opportunity to bake Lemon Strawberry Cupcakes. My lovely sister-in-law gave me the idea to bake with lemons and strawberries. What was fun about this week's creation is that one, I got to combine two separate recipes to make something delicious. Two, it was the first time I got to share my love with my co-workers. Usually I take my baked goods to my church picnic on Wednesdays, but with fall around the corner, the BBQ grill is in hibernation until next summer. My co-workers were pleased and are excited for me to share more. 

It was the perfect week to have something refreshing, because we were blessed with 80 degree weather. Enjoy this last taste of summer before it's time to settle inside, listening to the rain, wrapped in a blanket, enjoying the desserts of the coming season. 

As for an update about the happenings in my life, autumn is my favorite season. I love the colors of the leaves changing and the smell of pies in the air. For all who are consistent in following my steps to open up my own bakery, I have great news.  I am making the desserts for my church's women day. What better advertising? So expect new recipes and images as I test out what I am planning on making! 

Kirsten 

German Chocolate Cupcakes

For a while my husband has stated the fact that I have been baking all these delouse treats for others, making him eating little to none of his wife's sweets. I promised him that this week I would make his favorite German chocolate cupcakes. I thought it would be a nice gesture, especially because our anniversary next week. Adding to this reason, a fellow teacher had a birthday and i found out that she likes German chocolate too. I made enough for her, my husband, and for our church picnic. I don't care for coconut, but the kind people who devoured the cupcakes seemed to have enjoyed them. 

Kirsten

Rhubarb Macaroons

So, I posted on my Facebook page what my next creation should be, because I was out of ideas. Correction, I had too many ideas on what to do next. The first comment was from a lovely lady who said to make macaroons. 

I watched episodes on American Baker and Master Chief that had their contestants make macaroons. I thought that if chefs and bakers are tested in this culinary creation, I should try it out. 

Now I have only tasted macaroons once, and they were made by my amazing cousin for a wedding present. She had stayed in France as a foreign exchange student, and she made them with her host family. I remember her saying to wait till our wedding night to open them and eat. Macaroons are a very special gift. 

How did I do? Well, Gordon Ramsy said on Master Chief that every gram counts. The recipe I had was in grams, and I don't own a scale (maybe i should invest in one soon), so I used a converter on the internet at make approximations on how many cups to use. The converted recipe is on Wednesday's Recipes. 

Ramsy might be right. They came out very tasty, but they were not as puffy as I have seen them. 

However, for my first time making them, I must say I think I did a good job. (First time making homemade jam too).

My advice for this week, don't have the fear of never making something hold you back. When you fail, you learn more then if you succeed. 

Kirsten

No-Bake Cheesecake

Cheesecakes are so hard to bake. I know that it helps if you put the cake pan in water while you bake it, but the first time I baked one it came out SUPER undone in the middle. The other times I've made cheesecake I baked it for as long as possible, meaning until it the knife was clean. This lead to burn bubbles on the top that I scraped off. When I came across No-Bake Cheesecake, words could not describe how happy I was. Not only did I not have to bake the cheesecake, I didn't have to bake in 80ish degree weather. Needless to say, the cheesecake came out tangy, and great! Look under Wednesday Recipes for the Recipe.

Stay Sweet,

Kirsten

Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting 

This week I made these awesome cupcakes.

These Fudge Salted Caramel cupcakes were made for one of my really close friends. She had a dream about eating chocolate cupcakes with salted caramel frosting. She texted me the next morning saying that she woke up disappointed that it wasn't true. Well Ms. Chickaddie (aka Heather), dreams do come true.

(Check out my friends crafting blog @ http://chickaddiesnest.blogspot.com)

 

In other news, my other really good friend, Courtney, is working on my logo. It's looking amazing! I can't wait until she finishes it. This means that the blog will get a new look soon, so expected great changes.

Stay Sweet,

Kirsten

Tart Titan

Last week I did attempt to make a Pear Tart Tatin. It tasted great, but looked liked a big blob. I know when I need to edit myself, and even though it tasted good, I did not want a blob of pastry dough in my portfolio. So don't give up one me. It's not that I forgot my goal, I just wished not to show you it. 

Stay Sweet,

Kirsten

Pok-A-Dot Mixed Berry Pie

This week I made a mixed berry pie, homemade from crust to filling. 

My husband and I went to a local farm to pick the raspberries and blackberries that I used for this creation.

I decorated it using a small fondant cutter to make it have that pot-a-dot look. I saw this decoration online, and thought it would be an interesting design option for a pie. It had the ability to create air flow for the mixture to cook. while making the pie look more sophisticated then how pies are traditionally seen. 

The mixture did bubble over a little, because I wanted a soft brown color on the crust. Over all it look rustic and tasted great.

I made this pie for a dinner my husband and I had with our new friends, the Wastons. They said it was the best pie they have had, and I have to agree, even if is was my own pie. Freshly picked berries are the way to go. Needless to say, this Pok-A-Dot pie was gone within 24 hours of it being cut into. 

If you have any advice for me, or would like to comment please feel free to. 

Stay Sweet,

Kirsten

Lacee's "See You Later" cupcakes
Welcome everyone to what is to be quite a journey. The plan is to bake a lovely item, weather cupcake, pie, bread, or pastry, and blog to you lovely people about it. 

We start this journey by taking the taste buds to Lacee's "See You Later" cupcakes.

I work with this awesome person, and tomorrow is her last day. Though this may not be good bye, I thought it would be fitting to celebrate the time I got with her with some delicious RED VELVET CUPCAKES. 

I followed a recipe that I haven't used, and I didn't have all the "right" ingredients (I like to substitute items for experimentation). The cupcakes came out over flowing and a little tangy, but what can one do. Sometimes it just doesn't turn out like you hope it would. But they are still quite delightful and put a smile on your face.