Classic Pecan Pie

So, my family acquired a very large amount of pecans. I'm not sure how, but it's certainly not unusual in Louisiana where pecans are plentiful!

After making the pumpkin pie for Christmas, I decided that I wanted to make another pie, but I didn't want to make an extra trip to the grocery store to pick up any ingredients. Luckily, we already had everything that I needed to make a pecan pie.

We used the recipe on the back of the Karo syrup bottle. According to my mom, everybody uses the recipe on the back of the Karo syrup bottle!

Like pumpkin pie, this recipe could not be easier! You just mix all of the ingredients together and pour them into a partially-baked pie shell (or unbaked pie shell if you are using a store bought pie shell).

Recipe-Classic Pecan Pie

1 cup light or dark corn syrup
3 eggs
1 cup of sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 and 1/2 cups pecans, chopped in halves and quaters
1 unbaked 9" deep dish pie crust (or 1 partially-baked 9" pie crust if homemade)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Mix the corn syrup, eggs, sugar, melted butter and vanilla extract with a spoon. Stir in pecans.

3. Bake on center rack for 60-70 minutes (the pie is done when: the center springs back after being given a light tap).
4. Cool on wire rack for at least 2 hours.

Tada!

Pumpkin Pie

Ok, so apparently there is this disconnect in American culture between the sweet potato pie people, and the pumpkin pie people.

I seriously thought they were the exact same thing until very recently.

Anyway, so back to these "sweet potato pie" people and "pumpkin pie" people. My mom has always made sweet potato pie at Thanksgiving and Christmas. So... I guess that makes us sweet potato pie people. BUT, she grew up eating pumpkin pie..

I have discovered that sweet potato pie is often associated with traditions in African-American families, while pumpkin pie is associated with traditions in other American families.

I like baking new things, so I decided to bake a pumpkin pie this Christmas. It tastes slightly different than a sweet potato pie, but I'm seriously convinced that the taste is indistinguishable to many people.

Baking a pumpkin pie could not be easier with all of the right ingredients!

If you are making the crust yourself, partially pre-bake the crust.  If you are using a store-bought crust, don't worry about pre-baking the crust.

Recipe-Pumpkin Pie

1 15-ounce can of pumpkin puree
1 14-ounce can of sweetened, condensed milk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 9-inch pie crust

1. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Whisk all of the ingredients in a bowl. Pour into the pie crust.  Bake 15 minutes.
2. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 F, and continue baking for 35-40 minutes (when given a shake, the center should jiggle slightly. A knife inserted one inch from the crust should come out clean). Let cool. Serve with whipped cream.  Store the leftovers covered in the refrigerator.

Buche de Noel (Yule Log)

I love pies, cakes, and cookies at Christmastime.  But, I also like trying new things, and I wanted to bring a little bit of France with me home to Louisiana for the holidays.  The Buche de Noel is a traditional Christmas dessert in France, Belgium, French Canada, Lebanon, and Vietnam.  It is traditionally made from a sponge cake, and filled with chocolate buttercream frosting, rolled up to look like a log.

I wanted to make one a little more--interesting. I found a recipe that combined Nutella, whipped cream, and toasted almonds. I couldn't resist!

The toasted almonds really bring out the nuttiness of the Nutella, and compliment the Genoise cake splendidly.  The finished product is so festive and really adds a nice flair to any dining table set for Christmas dinner.  You can always enjoy a left over piece the next morning with coffee for holiday-only guilt-free breakfast ;)

This Yule Log recipe is particularly wintry since the whipped cream frosting symbolizes snow on the log.  Get creative and really create a winter wonderland! Enjoy!

Recipe: http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/chocolate_nut_yule_log

The genoise cake, ready to be baked (below).

The genoise cake, baked and coated with powder sugar. (above)

Roll the cake and let it cool. (below)

Once the cake is cooled, spread the Chocolate-Hazelnut frosting, and then roll again. (below)

Lastly, top with the whipped cream frosting and toasted almonds. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to overnight.  

Big City, Little Kitchen Cookin- Blueberry Buckle

What is a buckle you may ask... A buckle is an old-fashioned single layer cake with a streusel-style topping.

I got this recipe from my friend Grace, after an afternoon of blueberry picking over four years ago.  I have made this countless times since because it is so simple.  This is a recipe that people either LOVE or LEARN TO LOVE.  If you don't like it the first time you try it, you probably will the second or third. And people who like it REALLY like it.

The top and the edges caramelize, so if you don't like sticky in your teeth--this isn't for you. I've also noticed that men seem to like this more than women.

I made it just yesterday in my NYC kitchen. No tools required! You don't even need a pan. I normally bake it in a 9 x 5 loaf pan, but I picked up an 8 x 8 disposable aluminum tray from the store (for 50 cents), and it worked just fine.

Recipe- Grace's Blueberry Buckle

1 cup self-rising flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
1 cup blueberries
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vanilla ice cream (mandatory- ice cream required to balance out the warmth and texture!)

Preheat the oven to 375.  Place the butter in the pan, and place in the oven until the butter melts completely.

In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, milk, salt and vanilla extract. Then pour into the pan of melted butter and mix lightly. Drop the blueberries in.

Bake 45 minutes- 1 hour, or until the top is golden and it is cooked all the way through.

Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Enjoy!

Devil's Food Cupcakes

Every once in a while, a girl needs some chocolate...  These devil's food cupcakes with chocolate ganache really hit the spot.  They are incredibly rich in taste, but light in texture.  Because I am not a choco-holic, and chocolate icing on chocolate cake is a little too much for me--I used cream cheese icing for some of the cupcakes.

Recipe- Devil's Food Cupcakes

3/4 cup boiling water

3/4 cup cocoa powder

6 oz. butter

2 c. sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

3 eggs

2 and 1/2 c. cake flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 c. buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.  Place rack in the middle of the oven.  Whisk together boiling water and cocoa. Cover and set aside.

2. With a mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract.

3. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Continue creaming until light and fluffy.

4. Sift together the cake flour, baking soda, and baking powder.  Add to the mixture, alternately with the buttermilk. 

5. Add the cocoa/water mixture and mix until thoroughly combined.  Scoop into cupcake pans and bake for 20-25 minutes (until a toothpick inserted deep into the middle comes out clean).

6. Let cupcakes cool completely before decorating. Prepare the chocolate ganache.

Recipe- Chocolate Ganache

8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate

3/4 c. heavy cream

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons butter

Chop chocolate and place into a glass bowl.  Bring the heavy cream and sugar just to a boil in a small sauce pan.  Pour over the chopped chocolate.  Whisk together, and then stir in butter until melted.  Dip the tops of the cooled cupcakes in the warm ganache. Let set.

I then piped some left over cream cheese icing onto the cupcakes.

Get creative! Enjoy!

Strawberry Season!

I just bought a pound of strawberries from my local grocer for 79 cents!  I've always loved strawberry season.  As a little girl, my family would go to a friend's strawberry field and pick crates of fresh strawberries.  My mother and sister would stay in the car, so it was just my dad and I out in the field--getting dirty and having a good time!  After we ate as many fresh strawberries as we could, my parents would make jars of strawberry preserves.  

Several months ago, I came across a beautiful strawberry tart that I wanted to make.  I patiently waited for strawberries to be in season, and finally got around to making it just yesterday.

 I'm always a little wary about fruit tarts because their taste rarely matches their aesthetics.  I altered the recipe and used my grandmother's famous "strawberry delight" crust instead of a regular pie crust.  But, this was fairly simple to make, and even easier if you buy a pre-made pie crust.  (The recipe is at the bottom of the post.)

 I pretty much never make it to Louisiana during strawberry season these days.  But I did this year.  I'm so glad I did, because I got to enjoy some Abita Strawberry Harvest Lager.  I found some at the Fresh Market which is walking distance from my house.  This beer was so delicious!  I'm not really a beer girl, but it was very light and crisp, with a slightly sweet taste and the aroma of strawberries throughout.  The beer is made with Louisiana strawberries that were picked at their ripest, so it's seasonal and only a very limited supply is made.

Strawberry Tart Recipe

1 fully baked pie crust

1 cup cream cheese or mascarpone cheese, cold

3/4 cup heavy cream, cold

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

20 fresh strawberries, hulled

1. Mix cream cheese, heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract with the whip attachment of a stand mixer, or a hand mixer on medium, until firm peaks form (about 2 minutes).  Pour into the fully baked pie crust.  Arrange the strawberries on to the tart. Refrigerate.

2. Serve cold.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Who doesn't love red velvet cupcakes?!  The recent red velvet cupcake craze has been pretty remarkable.  I  am a red velvet fiend, but I didn't fall in love with the RV until 2007.  I was at a friend's graduation party, and she had catered a red velvet cake.  One bite and I was in love with the almost-chocolate taste combined with the cream cheese icing--a perfect match.

I have been looking for  a good red velvet cake recipe pretty much since then.  I have gone all over the U.S. tasting red velvet cake--from Picadilly in Louisiana (the cake is rumored to have southern roots), to red velvet cheesecake at the cheesecake factory, and even Starbuck's--which only recently added red velvet cupcakes to their menu (avoid them at all costs--not worth the money, calories, and not fair to your taste buds!)  

So, I recently experimented with a recipe when I made these cupcakes for a fundraiser.  It was the BLSA (Black Law Students Assoc.) annual "Soul Food Lunch" fundraiser.  A portion of the proceeds went to the Haiti relief effort.  

Though the taste was not the best I've ever had (and I've had a lot), the texture was incredibly light and the cake absolutely melted in my mouth.  It was almost dangerous--multiple cupcakes could easily be consumed.  For that reason alone, I will be making these again.  Tomorrow actually.  I have a feeling that cupcakes and Champagne will make a great pair...

5 Minute Chocolate Cake

This is an excellent recipe for anyone who has ever had one of those *cravings* for something chocolatey.  This recipe requires no special equipment--just a mug and a fork!  The entire recipe, start to finish, takes less than 5 minutes.

As for taste, it hits the spot and satisfies that chocolate craving.  I recommend serving it with whipped cream or ice cream.  Mine came out a little dense and dry, so the ice cream I ate with it really balanced it out.  But I really couldn't complain for cake "baked" in a microwave!

Recipe- 5 Minute Chocolate Cake (thanks to the fabulous a. pankey for discovering this during her website browsing!)

4 tablespoons cake flour 

4 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 egg

3 tablespoons milk

3 tablespoons vegetable oil or melted butter

1. Mix the flour, sugar, and cocoa powder in a mug.

2. Add the egg, milk, and oil to the mug.  Mix well.

3. Microwave on high for 3 minutes.  The "cake" will rise several inches over the mug and then fall.  

4. Shake the cake out of the mug onto a plate. 

5. Enjoy!

Rugelach

I'm not the only 3L at USC Law that has time to bake.  In the past week, there were multiple occasions when homemade goodies were being passed around the classroom.  From homemade shortbread, to Rugelach (a Jewish pastry).  I didn't even know what rugelach was--I just knew that the texture of this cookie/pastry was incredible, and I had to try to replicate it.

"Tom" baked them.  I don't know who Tom is, but whoever you are, thank you for introducing me to these delicious treats.  The texture is so flaky and soft.  I ate several of these for breakfast this morning with a latte.  It was one of those surreal, I'm so thankful moments...

Here is the recipe and some photos of the rugelach-making process...

Recipe- Rugelach.  Yields 48 cookies.

2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1" squares
1 8oz. package cream cheese, cut into 1" squares
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
8 tablespoons apricot preserves (optional)
OR mini chocolate chips (optional)


1. In a food processor (or stand mixer), pulse flour, salt, butter, cream cheese, and sour cream until crumbly (like pie crust).  Shape the crumbly mixture into 4 equal discs, wrap in plastic and refrigerate until the dough is firm.  It should chill for at least 2 hours, or up to 2 days.
2. Once chilled, roll each disc into a 9" round on a lightly floured surface, keeping the other discs chilled until you are ready to roll them.

3. Combine the sugar, cinnamon, chopped nuts, and finely chopped raisins.  You may substitute mini chocolate chips for raisins.  Sprinkle the round with the sugar/nut mixture.  
4. With a sharp knife, or pizza cutter, cut each round into 12 wedges.  Roll the wedges from the wide end to the narrow end, and place on ungreased baking sheet.  Chill for 20 minutes before baking.

5. Preheat oven to 350.  Bake on the center rack for 22 minutes, until light golden.  Cool completely on wire racks.  Store in airtight containers.  
VARIATIONS: Before putting the filling on the dough, use a pastry brush to layer 2 tablespoons of apricot jam.  Then add the recommended filling.
Enjoy!

Apple-Maple Bread Pudding

This dish was inspired by someone I'll just call, "Bashful Boy Baker," who happens to like bread pudding and was looking for a recipe. I come across so many delicious recipes that I often need inspiration for something to jump out at me.  Plus, the dish has to be worth the calories  ;)

I was also fortunate to have one of the more bizarre ingredients this recipe calls for, apple brandy, on hand.  I purchased this small bottle of Calvados (a liquor made from apples) when I was in the Normandy region of France.  It is one of their regional specialties.  I never got around to opening it, so I was really excited that the recipe called for it.

Recipe: Apple-Maple Bread Pudding

Custard

6 large eggs

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons apple brandy (like applejack or Calvados)

1 1-lb. loaf pain rustique, all crust trimmed, cut into 1" cubes

Apples

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 and 1/2 pounds apples (i used a combination of Granny Smith and Red Delicious)

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

Custard: Whisk eggs, maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt in large bowl.  Add milk, cream, and brandy and whisk until blended.  Add bread cubes and press to submerge into custard.  Let soak at least 30 minutes, occasionally pressing on the bread cubes to submerge.

Apples: Position a rack in the bottom third of the oven.  Preheat to 350 F.  Generously butter 9x5 inch glass or ceramic loaf pan with at least 3" high sides.  Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add apple slices and saute until deep golden and beginning to soften, stirring and turning frequently, 10-12 minutes.  Stir in 1/4 cup maple syrup, then brown sugar.  Simmer until sugar dissolves and mixture thickens, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Mix half of apple slices into bread-custard mixture.  Transfer to prepared loaf pan.  Arrange remaining apple slices atop bread pudding in rows.  Spoon any remaining syrup from skillet over apple slices.  Place loaf pan on rimmed baking sheet.  

Bake bread pudding until puffed and cracked on top, apples are deep brown, and instant read thermometer inserted deep into bread pudding registers 170 F to 180 F, about one hour and 30 minutes.  Pudding will rise above the pan.  Remove from oven and let rest at room temp for 45 minutes.  During this time, the pudding will fall.  Brush additional maple syrup on top of pudding.  Spoon into bowls and serve warm or at room temp. with vanilla ice cream.

I noticed that this tasted waaaaay better the second day, but not as good the third day.  

Pâté à choux (Choux Pastry)

Choux pastry is used to make cream puffs, eclairs, and profiteroles.  You can also use choux pastry for a number of savory items, including cheese puff and even gnocchi. 

This was my first time working with choux pastry, and we made "cheese puffs."  I made the basic choux pastry, and then I added Swiss cheese to it before I put it in the pastry bag.  The cheese puffs were absolutely delectable and disappeared as soon as I took them out of the oven.

Recipe: Choux Pastry

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup water

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup flour

4 large eggs

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk, water, butter and salt. Bring to a boil.  Remove the pan from the heat when the butter melts.  Add the flour and stir vigourously with a wooden spoon until blended. 

2. Return the pan to medium heat and continue stirring until the mixture leaves the sides of the pan and forms a ball.  Remove from heat and let cool for 3 minutes, or until 140 degrees F.

3. Whisk one egg in a small bowl.  Once the batter has cooled, pour the egg into the batter and beat with a spoon until incorporated.  Add the remaining 3 eggs one at a time by whisking each one first and then stirring it into the batter.  Let the paste cool for 10 minutes before shaping.

4. Position a rack in the center of the oven.  Preheat oven to 425 F.  Line a rimless baking sheet with a silicone mat.  Fit a piping bag with a 5 mm plain tip, and fill the bag with the paste. 

5. For each puff, pipe about 1 teaspoon paste onto the lined baking sheet.  Bake the puffs for 15 minutes.  Then, reduce the heat to 375 F and bake until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and prick the sides to allow the steam to vent.  Return to the oven, leave the door open, and allow the puffs to vent for about 10 minutes.

For cheese puffs:
Follow the above recipe, but add 1 cup of Swiss cheese after beating the eggs into the paste.  Stir the cheese into the warm paste, and fill the piping bag with the paste.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

Lucy baked these using the Sprinkles Cupcakes pumpkin cupcake mix.

The only difference between the mix and making them from scratch is that you don't have to use pumpkin puree, baking powder, baking soda, or flour.  All of that is already incorporated into the mix.

They came out beautiful and delicious.

German Chocolate Cookies

My mom and I baked a variety of cookies last night. Every single cookies is now gone (thankfully) because were were baking them for someone else. We baked some classics--chocolate chip, peanut butter, and oatmeal raisin. We also baked a more "unique" cookie since my mom wanted to try something new, so we made German Chocolate cookies, inspired by German Chocolate cake.

The cookies were two fudge cookies sandwiching the traditional icing on a German chocolate cake--a combination of coconut, pecans, and caramelized sugar. These cookies were soooo incredible. I actually cut one sandwich cookie into fourths, because I had already ate a couple of chocolate chip cookies by the time these were done.

These cookies will definitely be added to our current cookie rotation!

Old Fashioned Apple Pie

This is the one dessert where the Americans have the French beat, hands down. A "tarte aux pommes" can't even be compared to an old-fashioned Apple Pie!

My mom's grandmother made these pretty much every day of her life, and my mom said that this apple pie tasted just like her grandmother's apple pies.

This pie was very easy to make--you just peel the apples, slice them, toss them in flour, spices, and sugar, and put them in the pie shell. The magic happens in the oven. The apples and pie crust transform into the familiar taste of an apple pie :)

Pie crusts: If you don't want to make a pie crust from scratch, you can buy sheets of pie dough at the grocery store. You'll need this instead of the pre-made pie shell because an apple pie needs two layers of crust--one for the bottom and one on top.

Once you figure out the pie crust situation, it really is just a matter of peeling apples, slicing them, tossing the ingredients together in a bowl, putting it in the pie dough, sealing the second piece of pie dough on top, and baking it.

Recipe- Apple Pie
Pie Crust
2 c. all purpose flour
3/4 tsp. salt
1 c. vegetable shortening, room temperature
1 egg
2 tablespoons cold water
1 tablespoon white vinegar

Apple Filling
5 large apples (variety)
3/4 cups sugar
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Pie Crust:
1. Combine flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Cut shortening into flour until it is in pea-sized clumps.
2. Beat the egg, water, and vinegar together. Pour the liquid over the flour mixture.
3. Stir with a fork until the mixture is moistened. Divide the dough in half and shape into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for fifteen minutes.
4. Remove dough from refrigerator. Dust the rolling pin and the counter with flour, and roll the dough into a circle that is slightly larger than your pie pan. Place the dough into the circle, and press down in the pan.
If using store bought pie dough, start here. Repeat Step 4 with your dough.
5. Preheat oven to 400 F.
6. Peel, core, and slice apples, about 16 wedges per apple.
7. Mix apples with sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Place the apples in the pie shell.
8. Roll out the second pie crust and place it on top, and press down the edges with the first pie shell, sealing it.
9. Cut a hole at the top of the pie, and make about 4 1-inch slits. Place the pie in the freezer for 30 minutes.
10. Bake it on a cookie sheet for about 40 minutes (until the apples are tender and the juice is running).
11. Let chill for about one hour on a wire rack.

Grandma's Cake

My grandmother in Prarieville makes this cake for every holiday. About ten years ago, I went to her house and she taught me how to make it. Pretty much everyone in my family has made this cake--my mother, my sister Lucy--even Stanley made it one year. My mom now bakes this cake on a regular basis because she has so many requests for it!

Lucy was adamant about having this cake at our Christmas party. Baking a cake from scratch is so time consuming, so I told her she'd have to bake it if we were going to have it! So, she did. And it was delicious! We even used the leftover icing to decorate cookies.

The name of grandma's cake is "million dollar cake." It has a pineapple filling and a cream cheese frosting.

Chocolatiest Chocolate Cake

My chocolate lovin sister got to celebrate her birthday again in Baton Rouge over Thanksgiving break. So, my mom and I baked her another cake. We didn't want to bake another German chocolate cake, so we started exploring chocolate cake recipes.

We decided on a chocolate cake with a mousse filling and chocolate ganache icing. Unlike everyone else in my family, I'm not a *real* chocolate lover, but we ALL agreed that this was the best cake we have ever made. All I can say is O-M-G--it was soooo good. I had it with vanilla ice cream. My younger sister is so crazy about chocolate she had it with chocolate ice cream (which would've been too much chocolate, even for Lucy).

Including the cake, filling, and icing, about 3 and a half pounds of chocolate went into this cake. (GASP). We spent $2.50 for every 4 ounces of chocolate, meaning we spent $35 on chocolate alone. We used a variety of chocolate--semisweet, unsweetened, and bittersweet. My mom made the actual cake, and I made the filling and icing. The cake is dramatically tall, and I decided to decorate it with chocolate shavings on top.

Mom's Mini Sweet Potato Pies

My mom has always made the most delectable sweet potato pie every Thanksgiving and Christmas. This year, she started making pie in the off season because her office had a bake sale to raise money for the American Heart Association. She baked about a dozen mini pies, and they sold out pretty much instantly! The next week, she baked more mini pies for the fundraiser, and again, they sold out super fast. As a matter of fact, customers started coming in, asking for the pies.

My mom now makes her mini sweet potatoe pies every month for the "sick and shut-in" members at her church in Baton Rouge. There are always a couple left over, which is a nice treat for whoever is lucky enough to be around!

This Thanksgiving, my mom made the mini pies instead of a regular-sized pie. Since my family hosted Thanksgiving dinner, it was an easy way for guests to take home some pie to enjoy later. Sorry folks, there is no recipe. My mom just keeps adding spice until it tastes how it tasted the last time...

German Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Frosting

I baked this cake to help celebrate my roommate's birthday. The cake is German chocolate, made with the Baker's German Chocolate bar. The icing is chocolate frosting--just chocolate, powdered sugar, and a little bit of milk and vanilla. The cake came out suuuuuper yummy.

I had to buy cake pans from Target since I had none, and I was in SUCH a rush to make it because I went out of town this weekend. When I was checking out at Target, the cashier asked me what I was going to do with the cake pans. Curious, I thought. "Bake a cake," I responded. She looked at me like she didn't believe me and said, "YOU are going to bake a cake?" Um, is it that rare for someone to purchase cake pans, who plans on baking a cake??

Anyway, the cake pans were actually rather suspect. I guess you get what you pay for! I'll be hitting up a more trusted kitchen store to buy some quality cake pans real, real soon.

You can find the cake recipe inside the Baker's German Chocolate bar.

**Due to it being finals time, and I have numerous research papers to write and finals to prepare for, I will no longer be updating daily. I will try to update a few times every week.

Souffle

Being the lover of French food that I am, it should be no surprise that souffle is something I adore. This was my first attempt to make a souffle. I admit, it took me three days, but that's because of the egg whites! Souffles only have a few ingredients--mainly chocolate, eggs, and sugar. The only leavening agent is the egg whites, so if the egg whites aren't prepared correctly, the souffle won't rise. The lightness of a souffle can be attributed to the lack of flour and butter.

So, how do you prepare the egg whites correctly? There are a few cardinal rules:

1. Make sure that absolutely NO egg yolk is in the egg whites. Not even a trace.
2. Don't beat the egg whites until they are at room temperature.
3. If you over-beat the egg whites, you will end up with a sticky mess!
4. Be gentle when "folding" the egg whites into the egg yolk/sugar/chocolate batter.

If you can figure out the egg whites, the rest of the souffle is a breeze (assuming your oven heats evenly).

I was really shocked that my very first souffle came out so well! It was delicious--incredibly chocolatey. It is so chocolatey, you will need vanilla ice cream or whipped cream to go along with it. My roommate made souffle a few days ago (under my watchful eye). We halved the recipe and used the individual-sized ramekins. I also made a whipped cream to go along with it--just beat 1 cup of heavy whipping cream with 2 tablespoons powder sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

Enjoy! (Will post recipe soon)