Showing posts with label baking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label baking. Show all posts
Churros with Lime Buttercream
Cinco de Mayo is just a week away and all I can think about is Mexican food. One of my favorite latin treats are churros. Although we associate these delicious treats with Mexico, its history is unclear. It is suspected that it actually originated from Portugal. Hands down, my favorite churro is from the happiest place on Earth, Disneyland. I don't know what the current price is, but I can tell you that it's worth it. We probably eat our weight in them during our visits.
The Dough
Churro dough is not particularly difficult to make, but it does require your concentration as it is unlike cookie and cake batters. The batter is created in a pot on the stove and will need to cool down before you beat in the eggs. The eggs are added one at a time and beat them quick. Hot dough plus raw egg can equal an interesting omelette - yuk! Whip them in quick and move on to the next one.
Creating the Churro
This was my first attempt at churros, but certainly not my last. These are so yummy! After I created the dough, I placed the batter in a pastry bag fitted with the 1M tip. They are skinnier than the average churro you are used to seeing at the stands, but it was perfect for a treat at home. When I squeezed the batter into the hot oil, I had a pair of kitchen shears on hand to cut the dough at my preferred length. You will fall into a rhythm with this process.
A few friends told me there is an easier way to create them, a churro press! I checked one out and it's in my shopping basket now. There is a nice hard case for all your dough and multiple nozzle heads, including a hollow one for filled churros. Imagine my lime buttercream inside or maybe a spicy chocolate ganache. Mouth watering!
Traditional Fried Churros
By Jenny RodriguezThese traditional fried churros are the perfect combination of crunchy, sweet with a soft dough center. Serve this with a side of hot chocolate sauce or lime buttercream.
Prep time:
Cook time: 20
Total time:
Yield: 1 dozen churros
Ingredients:
2 tbsp. white sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup water
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup flour
2 large eggs
cinnamon sugar
vegetable oil (for frying)
Instructions:
Don't forget to Pin this recipe to make next week for your fiesta!
XO,
Jenny
Yum
The Force Awakens
Squee! May the 4th Be with You is just around the corner - it's one of my favorite silly holidays. We are huge Star Wars fans and my family looks forward to special cookies or treats. I try to come up with a new idea to surprise them. We watch all the movies, yes we buy them on Blu-Ray as soon as they come out! All my kids have their favorite of the series, even my toddler is a huge Jedi fan.
Last year my best friend held a baby shower for her sister-in-law that was Jedi themed. I created a collection of Star Wars decorated cookies. Don't you just love the baby Chewbacca? Come read the tutorial on my post here. Chewie has always been my favorite - and you know what they say, let the Wookie win!
These were the cookies I created for my family last year - aren't they fun? Two of my favorite things - Disney and Star Wars! The heads and hats were both created with a Mickey Mouse cutter - you can pick one up here. I think this would be perfect for a Star Wars themed party favor too. You can read more about these cookies and see my Princess Leia Cake Pop on my original post here.
These maybe my most favorite, that's no star, that's the Death Star! With a circle cutter and some icing, you will amaze the crowd with this treat. I have a fun YouTube video and I think you will enjoy trying this one. Stop by and come over to the dark side.
That friend I mentioned earlier, well she is quite the blogger and baker herself. And it's no surprise, she's equally crazy about Disney and Star Wars. Karen specializes in cupcakes that are quick for the home baker, so you can spend more time enjoying them and watching The Force Awakens. Aren't these BB-8 cupcakes darling? I love them so much and I know my kiddos would go crazy to frost their own. Want to make a batch? Stop by Karen's and read up on the details.
Check out these dark treats - Death Star cupcakes! It's no trap, such a yummy cupcake that would be perfect for this May 4th. What side are you on? I'm proud to be Rebel Scum, but I would be happy to make these for my crew.
Don't forget to Pin this page and may the force be with you.
XO,
Jenny
Glazed Pineapple Upside Down Scones
April 20th is National Pineapple Upside Down Cake day! And I know you know how much I love these crazy and random days. Unfortunately as I've mentioned in the past, cake is not my favorite dessert. I know. It's weird. So I really didn't want to create a cake recipe and there are a billion amazing ones out there. I thought about cookies, but it's hard to find a pineapple emulsion and if you just use juice, the flavor isn't as strong. What to do.
I decided it would be fun to move past just desserts and poke around in the sweet breakfast treats. I imagined a small scone - some are just entirely too big to eat first thing in the morning. I pictured one full of the traditional flavors - juicy pineapple, sweet cherries and the complex brown sugar. I wanted a topping to the crust for added dimension.
These scones are easy and quick! You could easily create these first thing Sunday morning for your big family breakfast. They would also be perfect for a lady's brunch with mimosas. It has a tropical flavor spectrum, but no coconut (I see you anti-coconut bakers!) However, if you wanted to add some chopped, toasted flakes - it would be delicious!
Butter
Unlike cookie baking, you want your butter as cold as possible and it will not be creamed in the mixer. You will need to cut your butter into the dough with either a pastry blenderor two knives. After you cut your butter in, I recommend placing the dough in the fridge for about 30 minutes. It's not required, but if you have the time, you will be happy that you did. Warm butter will not do much for your delicious scones.
Quantity Made
These make somewhere between 18 -24 scones depending upon how big you like your scones. As I mentioned earlier, I wanted something on the smaller scale and more manageable with a full breakfast. But if you like big scones and can not lie, then by all means make them large.
Brown Sugar Glaze
This glaze is ahhmazing! You will love it. You will want to dunk everything in it. I'm wondering now what it would taste like on bacon. Mmm. It's pretty easy to make, but it hardens quite fast. Plan on dunking or drizzling a few scones at a time, then bring it back to the stove to warm over the burner. Whisk, whisk, whisk, to keep the glaze fluid.
Variation
If you love maraschino cherries like my middle child does, you can chop some up to sprinkle on the glaze before it sets. However, the juiciness of the cherries does slightly deteriorate the glaze underneath. There will be a slight marbling of color, but they are amazing! My kiddos always choose the cherry topped ones first.
Glazed Pineapple Upside Down Scones
By Jenny Rodriguez
Sweet and tropical scones that will be the hit at your breakfast table. These are best made and served on the same day.
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Yield: 1-2 dozen (depending upon how big you like your scones)
Ingredients:
2 cups - flour
1/4 cup - brown sugar
1/4 cup - white sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 large egg
1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp maraschino cherry juice
2/3 cup chopped pineapple, drained
3 tbsp chopped maraschino cherries
Glaze
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tbsp water
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup powder sugar
Instructions:
Yum
Mother's Day is around the corner and unfortunately (or fortunately) I am already booked and not offering any sets for sale in my Etsy store. However, it is impossible for me to not create some fun sets for a holiday. I mean, come on, I make cookies for National Pancake Day.
And I love the traditional Mother's Day cookies that are out there; lots of mason jars, flowers and hearts. But some of us Mommas like other things too. I made the set above for the Momma's that love a little ink on their skin. It's a sweet cookie set with a nod to the iconic tattoo style.
My yarn and sewing cookies have been such a hit, I wondered if there were some other crafting themes I could incorporate. And then I remembered LilaLoa's burlap tutorial and wondered if on a bigger scale, if it might look like a linen weave.
I think it turned out so sweet in this rustic embroidery style! My frosting is a bit too loose - you want piping consistency to maintain the definition. But for my first try, I was pretty happy.
Here is the finished set with an embroidered satin flower with french knots in the middle and another rustic embroidered sampler. I just think these are so fun and I can't wait to try another in the embroidered style.
Want to see the embroidered Mom cookie created on video? Click the video and subscribe to see all my tutorials!
I've had several emails and requests on Instagram for my royal icing recipe. It is not a secret, I'm so happy to share it with you! Please try it on a day when you are not doing cookies for a special occasion or pressed for time. In my opinion, your icing is the key to a successful art cookie and you need time to learn how to use it. In my circle of cookie artist friends, we all use a different recipe - so experiment and find what works for you.
I do not baby my icing, I just don't and I have never had issues with it, but again - find what works for you.
First I measure out 2 pounds of powder sugar. Yes, you need a scale. Baking is a science and you need exact measurements for a successful result. Please buy a scale, you will find that you use it all the time and you are happier with your recipes!
Next add 5 tablespoons of meringue powder to the powder. I use Wilton powder and love it. I've used it for years and always have great results.
I add a dash or two of clear Wilton vanilla extract. How much to use is up to you and your taste preference. You can always add more, so add it slow.
Lastly add a scant cup of warm water - just almost to the 1 cup mark, but not quite.
Then mix it all together on slow for 10 minutes. Your icing will be thick, thick and should hold a peak. This is not your final icing unless you are doing stiff roses. If you need piping and/or flood icing, you will need a spray bottle of water. Spray the icing and stir gently until you reach your desired consistency. This is the KEY to your cookies - don't rush this or you will have a very frustrating time decorating.
Want a video of the icing recipe? Come on over!
Royal Icing Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds of powder sugar
- 5 Tbsp. of meringue powder
- dash of clear vanilla
- scant 1 cup of warm water
Directions
- Place all ingredients into a mixer and whip on slow for 10 minutes.
- Keep finished icing covered with saran wrap or damp kitchen towel.
- Leftover icing can be frozen and used for later
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