Butterscotch Blondies

by penji1

Courtney is going to have dinner at a friend’s house tonight and asked me to make a treat for her to take that wasn’t chocolate because several of those friends don’t like chocolate (what?) so I made these.  I baked them in my top oven (I have one of those double ovens) and they were supposed to bake for 30 – 35 minutes but at 20 minutes, they were really brown but really gooey in the middle so I’m not sure if the temperature was too high or if it was because they were in the top oven or what but if you make them, I would say check them at the 20 minute mark and see how they’re looking.  By the way they still tasted really good even as gooey as they were and I know that because Bob ate about 3 right after I cut them up!  (I can’t remember where this recipe came from, sorry!)

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 2/3 cups (10 oz package) butterscotch chips

1 cup nuts

Heat oven to 350 (or maybe lower if your oven runs hot).  Lightly grease 9 x 13″ pan (go easy on the Pam, I sprayed mine too much and the bottoms were greasy).  Beat butter and sugars until creamy.  Add eggs and beat well.  Stir flour, baking soda and salt together and then gradually add to butter mixture, blending well.  Stir in chips and nuts.  Spread in pan.  Bake 20 – 30 minutes or until top is golden brown and middle is set.

White Fondant Wedding Cake with Pink Flowers

by penji1

Here is Josh and Richelle’s wedding cake.  The 1st and 3rd layers are Almond Poppy Seed and the 2nd and 4th layers are Brown Sugar, all covered with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting and then Pettinice Buttercream Fondant.  Richelle’s colors were hot pink and blue but we decided to go with just the hot pink on the cake so we wrapped the layers with hot pink ribbon and then Richelle’s florist got us the hot pink daisies and roses and a little bit of greenery so we did a cascade of flowers down the side of the cake.  Josh said it was “gorgeous” so hopefully Richelle will be just as happy with it.  Congratulations Josh and Richelle!

Movie Slate Fondant Groom’s Cake with Fondant Marker

by penji1

My friend Josh got married today and Courtney and I made his wedding cake (see next post) but we decided to make him a groom’s cake too and since Josh works in the film business with me, we decided to make him a slate cake.  The cake is brown sugar with vanilla buttercream frosting and Pettinice fondant to cover.  Courtney made the dry erase marker out of fondant which gave it just the right finishing touch!  It came out pretty cute and his wife Richelle had us put it on the candy table which was the perfect place for it.  Congratulations Josh!

Bountiful Basket #9

by penji1

After 9 long weeks, my show is finally over so I’m back to the regular routine of blogging and Bountiful Baskets!  We stopped getting the basket while I was working because it just wasn’t getting used so now that I’m done, we’re back at it!  Here is what was in today’s basket:

6 red apples (I think they’re Red Delicious)

4 apple pears

4 pears

1 pomegranate

3 limes

1 bunch red grapes

10 bananas

2 red peppers

3 small heads broccoli

7 ears corn

1 pound carrots

1 head lettuce (I think green leaf)

For $15 every Saturday, you can get a Bountiful Basket; for more info, go to http://www.bountifulbaskets.org.

Marshmallow Muffins

by penji1

This is recipe #14 in Susanna Tee’s “1 Mix, 100 Muffins” cookbook.  I love muffins and would eat them every single day for breakfast if I could!

1 cup mini white marshmallows (I had some of those large size marshmallows that are chocolate and vanilla swirled so I used those instead)

heaping 1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

heaping 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

2 eggs

1 cup milk

6 tablespoons sunflower oil or melted, cooled butter (I used vegetable oil)

1  Preheat oven to 400.  Line muffin tin with paper liners.  Using scissors (I spray mine with Pam first), cut marshmallows in half.  (I cut the big ones into about 6 pieces each.)

2  Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt into a large bowl.  Stir in sugar and marshmallows.

3  Lightly beat eggs in separate bowl, then beat in milk and oil.  Add liquid ingredients to dry and stir gently until just combined; do not overmix.

4  Scoop batter into liners.  Bake for about 20 minutes, until well risen and firm to the touch.

5  Let muffins cool in pan 5 minutes before removing.

Guitar Fondant Birthday Cake

by penji1

Friday was my son Zach’s 23rd birthday.  He loves to play guitar and write his own music so Courtney and I decided to make him a guitar birthday cake.  We found the guitar shaped cake pan at Michaels (and did an excited little dance in the aisle).  The cake is the “Gram’s Best Brown Sugar Cake” recipe (with an extra cup of flour added to give it a little firmer texture to hold up all that frosting and fondant) and then Vanilla Buttercream Frosting and the black fondant is Duff’s Buttercream Fondant (also purchased at Michaels).  Courtney piped the guitar strings on with frosting and then put Zach’s initails on the guitar also with frosting.  The red guitar pick is fondant as well as the other guitar parts.  It came out pretty cute!  Happy 23rd Birthday Zach, we love you tons and tons!  🙂

Rocky Road Cupcakes

by penji1

These were for the girls in my class at church and they are divine!  The recipe comes from “Cupcakes from the Cake Mix Doctor” by Anne Byrn.

cupcakes:

1 (18.25 oz) plain devil’s food cake mix

1 (3.4 oz) package vanilla instant pudding mix

1 cup whole milk (I only had skim so used that and they turned out great)

1/2 cup oil

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup milk chocolate chips (I only had semisweet)

milk chocolate rocky road frosting:

3/4 cup sugar

5 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup whole milk (only had skim and it worked just fine)

1 cup milk chocolate chips

3/4 cup coarsely chopped unsalted dry-roasted peanuts (I didn’t have any peanuts so used walnuts)

1 heaping cup miniature marshmallows

1  Preheat oven to 350.  Line muffin tins with paper liners.

2  Prepare cupcake batter:  Blend cake mix, pudding mix, milk, oil, eggs and vanilla on low for 30 seconds then on medium for 2 minutes.  Fold in chocolate chips.  Place 1 scoop of batter in each liner.

3  Bake cupcakes until they spring back when lightly touched, 18 – 20 minutes.  Let cool in pans 5 minutes.  Place on wire rack and let cool 15 minutes before frosting.

4  Prepare frosting:  Cook sugar, butter and milk over medium low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil, 3 – 4 minutes.  Boil, stirring constantly, 1 minute.  Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips until they are melted.  Let pan rest to cool slightly but not completely, 3 – 4 minutes.  Fold in nuts and marshmallows until well combined and marshmallows begin to melt.

5  Place a heaping spoonful of frosting on each cupcake and swirl to spread it out, covering tops completely.

Yields 24 cupcakes

Mix and Match Quick Bread – Zucchini Bread with Chocolate Chips and Chocolate Glaze

by penji1

Here is a fun and creative recipe that comes from the May 2011 issue of the Food Network Magazine.  It gives you all kinds of options for all kinds of quick breads.  I had the first 2 zucchini from our garden sitting on the counter so I went with zucchini and chocolate chips and chocolate glaze (of course) for my niece and her husband who are blessing their baby, Hannah, today.  Smelled great but can’t tell you how it tastes since it is a gift!

Step 1:  Choose a Flavor – Prepare 1 cup fruit or vegetables (1 kind).

pear, shredded and squeezed dry

apple, shredded and squeezed dry

banana, mashed

carrot, shredded

zucchini, shredded and squeezed dry

Step 2:  Pick your Mix-Ins – Choose up to 1 3/4 cups of the following ingredients (use no more than 3/4 cup nuts).  Toast and chop any nuts; chop any large dried fruit.

walnuts, pecans, almonds, hazelnuts and/or pistachios

dried cherries, cranberries, currants, raisins, figs, apricots and/or dates

rolled oats

chocolate chips

sweetened shredded coconut

Step 3:  Prepare the Pan – Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly butter one 9 x 5″ loaf pan or three 6 x 3″ mini pans.

Step 4:  Make the Batter – Mix 1 1/4 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon each baking powder and salt and 1/2 teaspoon each baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl; add your dry mix-ins.  In a medium bowl, whisk 2 eggs, 1/2 cup cooled melted butter or oil, 1/2 cup plain yogurt or sour cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon citrus zest (optional).  Stir your fruit or vegetables into egg mixture, then fold into the dry mixture until just combined.

Step 5:  Bake the Loaf – Spread the batter in the prepared pan.  Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 55 minutes for a standard loaf, 35 – 40 minutes for a mini.  Cool 30 minutes in pan on rack, then turn out onto rack to cool completely.

Step 6:  Make a Glaze – Prepare a glaze, pour on cooled bread and let set, 15 – 20 minutes.

Chocolate Glaze – Whisk 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa, 2 tablespoons milk, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla and pinch salt.

Vanilla Bean – Whisk 1 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon milk and seeds from 1 vanilla bean.

Brown Butter – Brown 3 tablespoons butter over low heat; cool slightly.  Whisk with 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon milk.  Use immediately.

Citrus – Whisk 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon each milk and citrus juice and 1 teaspoon citrus zest.

Cream Cheese – Whisk 1 cup powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons softened cream cheese, 2 tablespoons milk and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla.

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Black and White Topsy Turvy Fondant Wedding Cake with Pink Flowers

by penji1

This black and white topsy turvy wedding cake was for Courtney’s friend Nicole.  It came out pretty cute!  The bottom layer is chocolate sour cream and the next layer up is vanilla sour cream (both from the “White Almond Sour Cream Cake” recipe on the blog) and the top 2 layers are brown sugar (from “Gram’s Best Brown Sugar Cake” recipe also on the blog).  I of course used my favorite Vanilla Buttercream Frosting and then the white fondant is White Vanilla Satin Ice fondant (ordered on line) and the black is Duff’s from Michaels.  Not thrilled with the Satin Ice fondant, I think the Pettinice works better and looks better but Funfinity was all out, bummer.  Nicole ordered the flowers for us so that they matched the rest of her flowers.  Congratulations Nicole and hubbie!

White Fondant Wedding Cake with Red and Gold Accents

by penji1

Here’s our latest fondant cake for our friend Kali’s wedding.  The layers were alternating chocolate and vanilla (adapted from the White Almond Sour Cream Cake recipe) topped with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting and then wrapped with Ivory Pettinice Fondant from Funfinity.  We wrapped the bottom of the layers first with a red ribbon and then a gold on top of that as those were Kali’s colors and then the  flowers which are all fake, roses and calla lilies, which we bought at Michaels.  I think it came our really nice!  Congratulations Kali and David!