Empirical Baker

Since I can burn Rice Krispies, I decided to go with the microwave. Leaving out the butter creates a slightly different tasting treat, but one that is still great!

The original recipe includes 4 cups of marshmallows for 6 cups of Rice Krispies. Using a fancy skill called Math, that is one cup of marshmallows for 1.5 cups of cereal.

Spray a glass bowl with nonstick spray. Put marshmallows into the bowl, and melt. (You could melt butter in the bowl first, then add marshmallows and stir, if you want butter.) It takes about two minutes in my microwave, so it will probably take less in yours.

Spray a silicon spatula with non stick spray. Dump rice Krispies into the marshmallows, and stir. Eat.

I think I have a problem naming things. After all, there should really be a shorter name for these cupcakes besides “Dulce de Leche Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Frosting.” (they are drizzled with dulce de leche on top, but I decided that it was superfluous.)

I could not come up with a shorter title for my thesis, so it had all five variables in the title. But you almost know exactly what it is about when I say the title.

Anyways. Cupcake Project is one of my go to places when I am searching for new cupcake recipes. I knew I wanted something different, and I had a few extra cans of sweetened condensed milk laying around. So, the cupcake recipe, and brown sugar frosting are from that website, and the dulce de leche is something that I am sure I got from a website a while ago, but have no idea where I got it.

Dulce de Leche Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Frosting
(Adapted from Cupcake Project)

Part One: Dulce de Leche
Note: This method can be extremely dangerous. Borden recommends NEVER boiling the can in this way, as the can could explode, causing major injury to anyone nearby. I choose to take this risk, but, please educate yourself about the risks before choosing this method. There are alternate methods of making this wonderful sauce.

One can of Sweetened Condensed Milk (not evaporated.)

Take the label off the can. (Or not, but you will have label paper floating in your water). Put can into crock pot, and cover with water. (A few websites say that the water should cover the can to prevent it from exploding. One can fits into my mini 1.5-Quart Slow Cooker, with the water covering the top (barely)).

Heat in slow cooker on high for a few hours. I usually do about four hours, which results in a very thick dulce de leche. You can go as short as an hour (I have heard) to make a more syrup consistency, or longer for a more firm caramel type consistency. After time is up, remove the can from the hot water, and let cool. DO NOT open the hot can, as it might explode.

Part Two: Dulce de Leche Cupcakes
Chocolate Dulce de Leche Cupcake Recipe

1 cup boiling water
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Hershey)
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract (I used homemade!)
1 cup, (or 2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 c dulce de leche (I used slightly over half the can)

Whisk boiling water and cocoa together, until smooth. Whisk in milk and vanilla extract, and put to side.

Cream the butter and sugar together for about 3-5 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, adding the next only after the first has disappeared.

Mix dry ingredients together (flour, baking soda, and salt). Add the dry and wet ingredients, starting and ending with the dry. (Note: This is why I tend to not make this type of cake, as the more you beat the flour into the mixture, the tougher the cupcakes can be. So, only mix until the ingredients are mostly incorporated, and do not overmix. In addition, I do not think that my cocoa mixture had cooled enough, as part of the butter melted in this step. The cupcakes were a bit dry because of it, so make sure to let it cool.)

Stir in Dulce de Leche. Im not sure how it was in the original ingredient, but I put mine in cold, and it created clumps of dulce de leche in some of the cupcakes. Next time, I might heat up the dulce de leche to see if it becomes more incorporated into the cupcake.

Part Three: Brown Sugar Frosting
(Taken from Cupcake Project, which was adapted from About.com:Southern Food)

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup milk
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

Note: This is Candy Making, so things can and will burn easily, so stir constantly, and with a heat proof implement like silicone or wood.

Melt butter over low heat. Add Brown Sugar, and cook for two minutes. Add milk, and cook for another two minutes. Let cool. (At this point, it is an acceptable caramel replacement, and you can use it as such.)

Gradual beat in 2 cups of powdered sugar. Pipe onto cupcakes. (I tend to pipe things on cupcakes, it seems easier than attempting to spread it.)

If desired, drizzle heated dulce de leche onto cupcakes.

Sometimes, you just want more cake mix. Or, ya know, cake.

Many cake decorators use the White Almond Sour Cream Cake, but I find it makes a dry cake. I am pretty picky about having moist cakes. There are other recipes ( Cake Mix Extender) that add just a little extra batter. Adding extra ingredients changes the texture of a cake mix, making it seem more homemade, and it adds extra volume, so you get higher cakes or more cupcakes.

Cake Mix Extender
Makes 36 cupcakes (one cake mix alone makes 24 cupcakes)
Adapted from hpjmom from the Wilton Forums

1 box cake mix (any flavor) (and everything listed on the box)
1 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
2/3 cup milk (or water, or other liquid)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp flavoring (vanilla, almond, whatever you want)

As with a cake mix, you can put all ingredients into mixer and follow the box instructions.

I put the cake mix and dry ingredients into the mixing bowl, then mix on low for a few seconds to incorporate everything. Add liquid ingredients (include everything in the extender as well as everything on the box.) Mix about 30 seconds until blended, scrape down the sides, and then 2 minutes on medium speed, stopping halfway to scrape the sides.

Note: With a white cake batter, the cupcakes are slightly dry.

I think I finally figured it out!

I never figured out why Red Velvet cake tasted different. Of course, I expected a difference from my grandmother’s cake, but, still, something was off.

When I got my grandmother’s recipe, I figured it out. It called for cooking flour and milk, then mixing with butter and sugar. I had never seen anything like it.

It is called a “cooked flour” frosting. (Catchy title, huh. I am thinking of going with “Heirloom Frosting.) Yet, the few times I made it (including under the supervision of my grandmother), it never seemed to come out right. It always had a grainy texture to it. I tried superfine sugar, but that still did not make a difference.

I was reading a few places online, and one recommended beating the frosting for a longer period. With other types of meringue based frostings, it says to continue beating after the point it looked curdled, until it comes together.

The very first time I made the frosting, I did not let the milk and flour mixture cool enough, so it melted the butter when I added it. The second and third time, I creamed the butter and sugar for longer periods of time, and added the cooled milk/flour mixture, and it still came up grainy.

This time: I mixed one cup of milk with four tablespoons of flour, and cooked until thick. I let this cool for about an hour.

I mixed the sugar in a food processor for a bit. I added some of the 1/2 cup of shortening to the food processor, to try to get the sugar to adhere better. (I have no idea if this worked.) I mixed the remaining shortening, and 1/2 cup of butter with the sugar/shortening mixture. I creamed this for about 5 minutes. I added the cooked flour mixture in, and let it mix for another 5 minutes.

I stopped it a few times to taste. The longer I let it mix, the more smooth it became.

I frosted a few of the red velvet pumpkin cupcakes, and put the rest in the fridge.

Just a note: This flour, like meringue based buttercreams, tastes like butter when refrigerated. So, let the cupcakes or cake sit at room temperature, or let the frosting come to room temperature and re-beat it before frosting.

Also, the last two times I made this, I did not include any extract (mostly because I was out of vanilla.) You can put extract into it. My next experiment with this will be to play with flavorings :)

Heirloom Frosting
24 Services, or enough for a 3 layer 8 inch cake.

1 cup milk
4 tbsp flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter (or you can use all butter or all shortening)

Whisk together 1 cup of milk and 4 tbsp of flour. Cook over low heat until very thick. Let cool to cool room temperature.

(Optional: You can process the sugar for a short period in a food processor. This may or may not make a difference, and was not in any recipe I have seen.)

Cream together 1 cup of fat (either the shortening/butter mix, or all butter), and 1 cup of sugar. Make sure to fully cream these together, at least five minutes. Once the butter is light and fluffy, add the cooked flour mixture. Mix until it looks like whipped cream. You can add vanilla extract towards the end of the beating process.

On Wednesday, I attended a Cupcake Business class, sponsored by Cupcakes Take the Cake. I got to meet Rachel Kramer Bussel, and Nichelle Stephens (they cofounded the blog). Nichelle liked my Chocolate Orange Cupcakes with Chocolate Orange Marmalade Buttercream! (Recipe to be posted in a few days).

Presenting at the class were Marlo Scott, owner of Sweet Revenge, and Michelle Dobrawsky. Michelle gave us some great information about the business side of things, including trademarks, and what you can and cannot protect legally.

Marlo talked quite a bit about her business, and the research that went into it. There was a long discussion about branding and image, which is something that I am considering how to do.

We went after the class to her cupcake, wine, and beer bar. I got cupcakes to go. Her “Pure” cupcake was divine! The dark chocolate was very dark, and the Sweet Revenge cupcake was a strong and sweet peanut butter dream. :)

The class talked about protecting recipes, and how to do it. Marlo said that she gave away the recipe for the Pure cupcakes, and it has only helped her business. (BTW, I also learned that I should probably be using quite a bit more extract in my recipes, both her recipe and the one from Erin McKenna of BabyCakesNYC used 2-3 tbsp of flavoring, vs the 1-2 tsp that most of my recipes call for. Will have to try this next time.

What I learned? I probably do not have the passion or time needed to run my own cupcake business. However, one of the main themes of my life is integrating the many things that I am interested in pursuing into one package. (My thesis had four main components.) I am now brewing an idea of how to mix my love of cupcakes and baking/cooking with my want to run a business (or non-profit), and also providing healthy food for my neighborhood. But, I think that will wait until I am done with school. (Don’t worry mom, the idea that I have will use my MSW degree.)

I went to a potluck today. One of the things that happens when people know you are a baker is that you are expected to bring yummy things everywhere. I had very little time to do this, so I wanted something that would be done within an hour.

I was surfing online, and came across This Chocolate Butter Pecan Turtle Bars Recipe. Which is far too long to say. So, this is my adaptation.

* Crust:
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
* 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
* 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
* .
* Top Layer:
* 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
* 3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
* 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
* 1/2 cup white chocolate chips (I fudged a bit on the chocolate, and added more).

Bottom Layer: Mix flour, brown sugar, salt, and butter together. I used a mixer, but I could have gotten away with a pastry cutter. As it was, I had to use my fingers to get the last bit of butter mixed in. Press this into a 13×9 pan. Top with pecans. (I did not chop the pecans, which I probably will do for next time.)

Top Layer: Melt 1 stick of butter in a pan, and add the brown sugar. Cook for one minute after it reaches a boil. Pour over pecans and bottom layer. It did not seem that I had enough, so next time I might make more of the topping, or try to spread it better.

Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. When it comes out of the oven, top with the chocolate chips. The original recipe said to wait three minutes then mix the two together. I think I would either have to return it to the oven to further melt the chips, or use mini chips. As it was, it was yummy, but the chips did not melt.

Let cool, and cut into pieces. :)

It is called Stuffing when stuffed inside a turkey. It is called Dressing when it is cooked on the side. I had no idea that people actually stuffed turkeys until pretty late in my life.

I have a tiny oven, so I knew I would have little room for the side dishes. But, I happen to have two 5 quart slow cookers (actually, they are Crock Pots by brand). So, one had green bean casserole (exactly as it is written on the package), and the other had dressing.

This recipe is adapted from one my family uses, which comes out of a pretty old cookbook. My grandmothers use it, so it works for me!

Dressing

1 loaf of Bread, diced (I used the Healthy Bread in Five Master Recipe, cooked in a loaf pan).
2 boxes cornbread mix (or, ya know, make your own!)
2 tbsp salt (I should have decreased this, due to not using low sodium broth).
1 tsp pepper
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning (I used sage and thyme, as my poultry seasoning was not good).
1/2 cup butter (Or other fat, butter just tastes good)
1 cup chopped onion
2 cups diced celery
4 eggs, beaten
4 to 6 cups broth
4 hard cooked eggs, chopped. (optional)

Bake a loaf of bread a few days before thanksgiving. The day of, cut the bread into small cubes (about 1x1x1 ish, but it does not have to be anywhere near exact). Season the bread cubes with some of the spices, and toast on a sheet pan until slightly dryer. (This does not have to be exact either. Dry is good, croutons would be fine, burnt is not, so whatever.) Bake up two boxes of cornbread mix. (I used one pan of muffins, and one pan of mini muffins. These would have been better had I made them the day before, but they are still yummy).

Dice or chop celery and onions. Saute in 1/2 cups butter (with some salt). You want to have them soft, but not necessarily caramelized.

In a large (Large, I used a 6 quart bowl), break up the cornbread muffins and add the dried bread. Add the celery,onion, and butter mixture. Add chicken stock or broth, and mix gently. The mixture should be moist, but not dripping. Season with poultry seasoning, salt and pepper to taste. (My mother pointed out to me that one should test the seasonings before putting the egg in. Silly me, I did not do this, and had to risk food poisoning to taste test it.) Once seasonings are to your liking, add 4 beaten eggs.

Put into a crock pot (mine fit semi snugly in a 5.5 quart), and cook on high for 3-4 hours, stirring once (if desired) after about 1.5 hours. Serve :)

Well, Liveblogging Thanksgiving did not quite work. Still, I am in absolute shock that Thanksgiving went off as well as it did. The worst disaster was that the pecan pie did not set. Otherwise, it had rave reviews from my friends, one of which said it was the best meal she had ever had. Everyone enjoyed the food. The biggest complaint was that there was too much, and they could not even sample it all.

My family has 16 or more people at most big holiday meals, so I guess I will have to learn how to make smaller portions! Some of the recipes are coming soon :)

The two crock pot dishes were great. I could set them in the crock pots to heat, and not have to worry about them. For someone with a small kitchen, that was really nice. I wish I had more room in the freezer for more preparation time, instead of just that week.

The pizza fondue was a good hit, and I will make it again. I will do more exploring with rolls, since these were really good out of the oven, they went hard and stale pretty quickly. My Thanksgiving gift to myself was the King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking, so I will have some whole wheat options to try this time. Along with Healthy Bread in Five, I think I will endeavor to have all of my baked goods next year incorporate some form of whole grain. (My partner complained that he has given up hope to have a store bought loaf of bread at my house. Too bad!)

I have joined a Baking Group! We will get started in January with the big things, but here is our first entry, with my Pumpkin Pie Brioche listed! :)

Bread Braid @ Bigblackdogs.net