Happy Birthday - Round 2

Remember Thomas the Tank Engine from last year? Mary-Ann orders a few dozen chocolate cupcakes for her son's birthday. Got to love loyal customers. Buttercream frosting, thank heavens the event was indoors!

What's the Big Deal Anyway?

They are all craze. I mean, c'mon they sell them at the Starbuck's inside Safeway. If that doesn't scream mainstream, I don't know what does. I thought I'd give them a try.



Haha. So I get it now. Easy to make. Easy to eat. Easy at the waist. Easy to transport. Easy to store. Great for kids and adults. What's not to love?

I went a little crazy and made another batch two days later..

It's a Boy!

I missed out on Cruz's baby shower and I regreted it. It was a mistake I was eager to learn from. I made sure to be front at center at Bryce's baby shower. That and Julnette would never let me live it down if I didn't make carrot cake cupcakes.

Purple Velvet

Believe or not, I am a filipina. I was born here in the states, and my Tagalog is equivalent to that of a 5 year old. Ok, maybe a 3/4 year old, but you get the picture. I grew up eating mongo, pancit, adobo, and of course, ube. Ube, is a purple yam, and is a staple in Filipino cuisine that can be prepared as part of a savory or sweet dish. It can be found in glass jars drenched in syrup, in the frozen food section, or you can find it fresh at any Asian grocery store. Ube ice cream is one my favorites. Sometimes for merienda, it is scooped into a pan de leche roll. YUM! I thought, why not an ube cupcake? Here goes ...

My First Wedding Tasting

I happened to be catering cupcakes the same day Greenfish served lunch at LinkedIn. Mina, who happens to be the sweetest person ever (you really would have mistaken her for a fallen angel) asked if I would be interested in catering a wedding with her. UMMM, HELLO? ABSOLUTELY! I was jumping in my skin. Calm, cool and collected, "Sure." We exchanged cards and that was that.

I met the lovely couple at local coffee shop in Noe Valley. I asked them how they met and I think my heart melted and poured out onto the table. I really wanted to be a part of their special day. We talked pricing, quantity, deposits and decorations. It was hugs all round before we left to continue on with the rest of our day. They said they would be in touch. Pretty stoked.

More Red Velvet

I catered cupcakes for my best friend's wedding shower and her sister-in-law a year later requested the same red velvet cupcakes. Some people just can't get enough. Happy baptism Bella.

Portland's Waffle Window

The Waffle Window

My Ten Hour Baking Marathon

I have been preparing for this moment for the past six months. My internship at Satura Cakes, having completed that five week cake decorating class, and all those batches of red velvet cupcakes including the sixty-something cupcakes for Karla's bridal shower have me feeling confident.

Ingredients - check
Cupcake liners - check
Cupcake boxes - check
Piping bag and frosting tips - check
Old, beat up t-shirt - check (red velvet gets messy)

It is noon, let the bake-a-thon begin.

With one oven and four baking trays, my strategy was to rotate two at a time and mix the batter somewhere in between.









3:30 pm - I finished baking all 156 cupcakes and one two layer 8" round.

By 10 pm, the kitchen was clean, the cupcakes were frosted as well as the cake, beading and dowels included.

Time for bed.

Doritos Popovers

Fern: Do you know of any recipes for a Doritos cupcake?
Me: Ummmm.. nope.
Fern: Can you make one up?
Me: Am I not a baker?

And that's the story, well most of it anyway. My older brother's birthday is tomorrow and if there is one thing he loves - its his Nacho Cheese Doritos. Truth be told, he was on his honeymoon in France and asked a local market if they carried them in stock. I can't even begin to understand that kind of logic, or lack thereof.

Thoughts of cheesy muffins ran through my mind, then cheesy scones.. then last minute I changed my mind and decided on cheesy popovers. I had never made these before and my coworker had given me a popover pan a few months back that I have been dying to try. For this occassion it was perfect. So thank you to my brother and his crazy Doritos obsession and his loving wife Fern for this playful idea.





Recipe adapted from the Joy of Cooking

All ingredients should be at room temperature
1 cup milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tbspn butter, melted
1/4 tspn salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup crushed doritos nacho cheese chips
1/8 tspn paprika
dash of red pepper flakes

1) Preheat oven to 450 degrees F and grease popover pan
2) In a medium bowl whisk together milk, flour, butter, and salt
3) In a separate bowl, mix together cheese, doritos, paprika and red pepper flakes
4) Beat in (batter bowl) one egg at a time until just combined (do not overmix)
5) Spoon 1 tbspn batter into each popover cup
6) Distribute cheese mixture evenly into each cup
7) Pour in the rest of the batter, but not more than 3/4 of the way full per cup
8) Bake for 15, then turn down to heat to 350 and bake for 18 minutes more

Serve warm ...

We asked my brother to guess the filling. He couldn't tell. No one could. It tasted more like a tamale than Doritos. Either way, I can't wait to try this with onion and chive cream cheese, or filling the popovers with jam... They are the easiest things to make. Crispy on the outside, light and fluffy in the inside. OOh I bet these would make for a great garlic/butter bread roll...

World Cup slash Bacon Day

Unlike the rest of the world, I am pretty indifferent about the World Cup. But that does not mean, that I won't be interested in spending some quality time with two inspiring friends - Karen and Rebecca. I worked with them previously at a commercial real estate firm in downtown San Francisco. In the last year, these two have launched their own business Red Plume Marketing. You go girls!

Like all other catch-up sessions, I bake. I have been dying to try Gourmet's Peanut Butter Bacon Cookies via Joy the Baker, and now I had the perfect excuse.



This recipe yields about 15 cookies

Ingredients:
- 1 cup all-natural chunky or smooth peanut butter
- 1 cup sugar (1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup granulated sugar)
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- about 6 slices of bacon, cooked, cooled and diced

1) In a skillet over medium high heat, fry up bacon until cooked through and let cool on paper towels until cool enough to dice. Dice up and set aside.
2) Preheat over to 350 degrees F
3) In a mixer combine peanut butter and sugars until well combined, about 2 minutes
4) Add egg and baking soda and mix for another 2 minutes (I added a tspn of vanilla)
5) Fold in cooked bacon
6) Roll into large walnut sized balls and create a cris-cross pattern with a fork (or roll in granulated sugar before making the cris-cross pattern)
7) Bake for 10 minutes, until lightly browned
8) Cool on a baking sheet for five minutes

Bacon must have been on everyone's minds that day. There were bacon crisps and maple glazed bacon apple doughnuts from Dynamo (but we ate them all before I could take a picture). As for the game, it was a draw 1-1. Sorry Rebecca..

Why Didn't I Think of That?

We were throwing a joint baby shower for dad's-to-be Dan Yoo and Gaurav Chadha at work.

Ingenius.. cakes made out of diapers!

In restless ramekin fashion, we filled the bottom tier with these:


my classic brownies topped with macadamia nuts


and chocolate chip hazelnut cookies.

Congratulations Dan and Gaurav!


Photo Courtesy of The Baby Shower Zone

MIA

Since I got back from my trip, I have been swamped with bridesmaid duties. Three weddings between now and June 19. EEEK.. It is exciting as it is crazy. Its fun, but every now and then I get the urge to grab someone by the neck and throw them across the room. Let's just say I have a new appreciation for weddings and everyone involved - friends, family, caterers, cake decorators, tailors, photographers, florists etc.

Anyways, due to my hectic schedule (and unbelievably nice weather), I haven't been volunteering at Satura Cakes. I do however, still make time to bake every week in my own kitchen. AND just last week I pumped out 60-ish red velvet cupcakes for Karla's bridal shower. I just baked two cakes on a work night, as if one wasn't enough. Would you call this an addiction?


Applespice Bites


Teacake

Like a Pro

I just made 69 red velvet cupcakes for Karla's bridal shower.

No sweat.

Can I call myself a baker now?

Sheesh.





Cream Cheese Frosting
Adapted from Magnolia Bakery(New York City)

2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened and cut into small pieces
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and cut into small pieces
1 1/2 tspns vanilla extract
5 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted

1. Combine cheese, butter, and vanilla in a large bowl and mix on medium speed until smooth, about 3 - 4 minutes.

2) Reduce mixer speed to medium low and add sugar 1 cup at a time. Scrape bowl often.

3) Once all the sugar has been added, beat until fluffy (3-6 minutes)

4) Store in airtight container and refrigerate for at least two hours before use

This recipe was more than enough to frost my entire batch of cupcakes! I used clear extract so that the frosting would still be white and I added about 2 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream.

*When I was in NYC I kept hearing about Magnolia Bakery, but didn't have time to stop in and check them out. But I was able to visit Sugar Sweet Sunshine .

Mister Donut

If you were raised out in the east coast, perhaps you remember Mister Donut. The company started out in Boston and was founded by Harry Winouker in 1955. Then, in 1983, a Japanese company (Duskin Co. Ltd.) acquired the sales and trademark rights for Mister Donut in Asia. Since then, Mister Donut has taken off and is now one of the largest donut retailers in the world.

I am not big on donuts, but I am a huge fan of almost anything made with green tea. I keep hearing about this amazing old fashion green tea, made exclusivley at Mister Donut. I had to try it for myself.

Blag.

This particular location didn't have any in stock, but I wasn't going to let that stop me from making my visit worthwhile. The glass cases were filled with probably twenty different kinds. They all seemed to scream, "Pick me!".

I once saw a macaron recipe that combined chocolate and green tea. What an interesting pair of flavors that I had yet to try.



Not too sweet and not too rich - just the way I like it. American desserts are waaay over the top. Just a touch of sugar is all the world needs.

Happy Birthday Andy!

Andy turns 28 today. We miss you hon..

Pecan Tarts (Recipe is from a cookbook called Quelque Chose Douce Avec Une Demi-Tasse (Something Sweet with a Cup of coffee))

Pastry*:
- 1 cup flour
- 1 stick (1/4 cup) butter
- 3 oz cream cheese
- pinch salt

Mix with hands and press into 24 or 36 mini-muffin pans (depending on size). Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Filling:
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp butter, softened
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 to 1/2 chopped pecans

Beat ingredients together. Fill in unbaked shells. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove promptly from pans using point of a paring knife and let cool on wax paper.

Enjoy!

*I made two batches of pastry to one parts filling

Happy Birthday Bubs!

Banana Nut Bread
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup golden brown sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
4 overripe bananas
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup salted Challenge butter
2 medium eggs
3/4 cups walnuts, coarsely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt
3. In stand up mixer blend butter and brown sugar. Add eggs and banana and continue to blend
4. Stir in flour to banana mixture with wooden spoon (do NOT overwork)
5. Pour batter into 9x5 pan and cook in oven for about an 50 - 60 mins or until toothpick comes out clean after being inserted in loaf
6. Let bread cool and serve warm

Celebratory Pumpkin Pie

The best thing to ever happen to me, happened today and we're gonna celebrate with some good 'ole fashion pumpkin pie.

• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
• 1 (14 ounce) can EAGLE BRAND® Sweetened Condensed Milk
  
• 2 eggs
• 2 Trader Joe's Pumpkin Pie spice
  
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust

1. Heat pumpkin puree, spices and salt over medium heat. Put into a bowl and let it cool
2. Wisk in eggs and condensed milk
3. Preheat oven to 425
4. Pour pumpkin pie mixture into crust
5. Bake at 425 for 15 mins
6. Lower heat to 350 for 35-40 mins
7. Enjoy.. (w/ whipped cream!!!)

Blueberry Muffins

The secret to making amazing blueberry muffins right out of a box is to NOT follow directions. Make the recipe your own by playing around with the ingredients, measurements and even muffin size. Yay!