The best buttercream frosting you will ever try...

There are two kinds of people in life: People who love frosting, and people who do not like frosting at all. We all know those people who take a beautifully iced slice of cake, scrap off all of the icing, and proceed to eat it plain. Frosting lovers are divided up even further, into two other categories: Those who like sweet frosting, and those who prefer it to be a little less tongue curling. I happen to be one of those people that prefer to have their frosting on the sweeter side.

I favor buttercream over every other frosting. Fondant looks much sleeker, but the taste pales in comparison. I have tasted many cakes from many different bakeries and cake shops, and have always wondered how they make such delicious frosting. I’ve researched and tested many types of frosting. I knew they used shortening (in professional bakeries), because it works better for piping, but every time I tried a new recipe, it always had an overwhelming taste of powdered sugar. The thing about powdered sugar is that it does not dissipate, which causes it to leave that granular texture.

Knowing there was too much of a powdery texture in my previous attempts, I turned to Swiss buttercream frostings, but found them to be quite bland, and way too soft for detailed piping work. Powdered sugar has a much higher sweet content than granulated sugar, and works much better for piping designs. I knew I needed to find a happy medium. I searched far a wide for a buttercream frosting that comes close those used at those gourmet bakeries. After all this time, I have finally found it.

It is relatively easy to make, and rather resilient. As long as you do not over whip your frosting, you should have a perfect bowl of buttercream frosting. 

The recipe was adapted from King Arthur Flour: Fluffy Buttercream Frosting

You will need: 

3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) granulated sugar


1/4 teaspoon salt (ONLY if you use unsalted butter)


1/2 cup (4 ounces) boiling water


1/4 cup (1 ounce) meringue powder

1 tbsp Vanilla extract or any other extract (If you are using flavor oils, remember they are highly concentrated and will only take a few drops to flavor frosting)

 gel food color


4 cups (16 ounces) sifted confectioners’ or glazing sugar


2 cups (2 sticks, soft butter) 1 cup of vegetable shortening (you can do all butter, but if you are planning on piping, then I highly recommend using half shortening)

Boil water, and remove from heat

Stir in sugar and salt (if using unsalted butter) with a metal whisk.

dissolve sugar, until a syrup forms. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Transfer simple syrup to a mixing bowl, and add merengue powder. Beat on low, until mixture is foamy. (This will take several minutes.

Increase speed, and beat until SOFT peaks form. Add powder sugar, and flavoring/extract.

Add butter and shortening a couple pats at a time. Add food coloring.

 Yield: Enough frosting to fill and frost an 8" layer cake or 24 cupcakes.

When life gives you lemons...make lemon bars: Lemon Squares

        My mom just returned from a European vacation, and like any world traveler, she came home with armloads of souvenirs. She does not tend to buy your run-of-the mill chotchkies. She indulgences in regional olive oils, fresh garlic, and other gourmet goodies. She spent some time Italy, where she picked up a few souvenirs. There was definitely a theme with all the things she purchased: everything lemon. She brought home limonchello, lemon cookies, lemon candy, and lemon soaps.
           Personally, I happen to love lemon. It adds so much vibrancy to every food you pair it with. It has the ability to bring dishes to a whole new level. Seeing all the lemon flavored things that my mom brought home, really made me want to bake one thing: lemon squares. I have yet to find a better recipe than King Arthur Flour's. The use of cold butter creates a flaky and buttery crust, which perfectly balances the sweetness of the lemon filling. These are very easy to make, and are a perfect summer treat. They are best when served immediately.

You Will need:

Crust
1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) butter
1 cup (4 1/4 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/4 cup (1 ounce) confectioners' sugar

Topping
2 large eggs
1 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) lemon juice
2 tablespoons (1/2 ounce) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
a pinch of salt

Cut 8 tbsp. (1 stick) of butter into pats, and preheat oven to 350〫F

Combine flour and confectioners sugar

Add butter to flour mixture and mix with a pastry blender until coarse crumbs form.

Press into 8X8 or 9X9 square pan. Make sure to push the dough up 1/2 in. on the sides of the pan. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until lightly golden brown

Whisk together eggs, sugar, lemon juice, and salt. Set aside.

Pour over hot crust (after it has baked) and continue baking in oven for another 25 min, or until filling has set. 

Let cool completely, and lightly dust with powdered sugar.

If you like Pina Coladas... Pina Colada Cake Ball Truffles

You will need: prepared 9X13in. cake, 16 oz (or 1 can) of soft frosting. white candy coating, & gel food coloring, and pina colada flavor/candy oil ( I prefer LorAnn Oils)

I really wish I could just escape to a tropical island right now. Sandy beaches and crystal clear waves sound absolutely amazing. I am constantly reminded by the fact that I already have prior responsibilities, not to mention an intensive summer class starting soon. The possibility of escaping anytime soon, does not sound promising. 

I figured we all needed a little island getaway. The Pina Colada  is an iconic island drink. What better escape than a bite-sized version of it? Cake balls, are pretty much the same thing as a cake pop, except you do not have to worry about putting them on stick. 

I promise, they are just as good. They may even be a little easier to eat. You can decorate them however you like, but I recommend putting them in little bon bon wrappers or mini muffin liners. It just adds a little something more, and makes them look a little more professional. 

For you little five minute escape: Bon Voyage!

Bake a cake (preferably golden yellow cake) as directed, in a 9X13in. pan lined (and sprayed with pan release) with foil. cut the cake into four pieces , and place in a large bowl. 

crumble cake by rubbing each piece between your fingers. Make sure there are no large clumps. 

Add several drops Pina Colada Flavor oil to frosting. (enough to flavor the cake balls) Add 3/4 of frosting, and mix until it comes together. Add more frosting if it is too dry. 

Roll balls into uniform sizes. Think about the size of a truffle. Not too big, but not too small. 

Place palls on a wax paper lined baking sheet. Place balls in the  freezer for about 15 minutes (so that they can firm up).  Transfer to refrigerator until ready to coat.

Melt candy coating and 1tbsp. of shortening (helps keep the melted coating from thickening up)  until smooth. 

You can use a tempering fork, for coating the chocolate. I just made my own using a plastic fork.  

Take the chilled cake balls one by one, and hold them in the tempering fork, and spoon candy coating all over. Make sure to get an even coating. 

Allow them to dry on wax paper. Decorate as desired. I used the remaining candy coating, by deviding it up and adding food coloring. I then put them into plastic sandwich bags (Be sure to cut a small corner at the bottom), and piped the remaining coating onto the truffles.

Once dry, you can move them to the baking cups, and add any accents. 

Enjoy!

Mini Spanish Churros

You will need: 1 cup water, 1 cup flour, 1/2 tsp. salt, 2 1/2 tbsp. granulated sugar,  2 tbsp. vegetable oil, 2 quarts oil (for frying), piping bag & star tip. 

I must say that frying is not one of my preferred cooking methods.  The amount of grease and calories that come along fried foods, is usually enough to keep me away. However, there is just something about fried dough that cannot be replicated. Its warm melt-in-your-mouth texture is one of a kind. Throw in a little cinnamon, and you’ve created a simple thing of beauty.

Bring water, oil, salt, and sugar to boil. Remove from heat. Meanwhile, heat 2  qt. of oil to 375 〬F

There are many fried desserts out there, but there is one that is so iconic, you can find it almost anywhere: the Churro. The Churro is known for its crunchy exterior, and soft interior.  It can be served plain, but is usually rolled in cinnamon sugar.

Add flour to water mixture, and stir until a ball forms.

Although Churros are widely known as a Mexican treat, they actually originated from Spain. In Spain, they are commonly served for breakfast. With their arrival to North America, they evolved into a much more complex dessert. They are frequently filled with chocolate, dulce de leche, and other various fruit fillings.  They can even be seen topped with ice cream, and whipped cream.

Combine 3 tbsp. granulated sugar, and 2 tsp. ground cinnamon, and set aside 

In Spain, the Churro holds much higher meaning. It is a tradition that is taught to children of every generation. The professional Churro makers are well respected.  It is an art form that takes time to master.

Fill dough into a piping bag, and pipe into hot oil. Fry until golden brown. 

There are various versions of the Churro. Some include melted butter, cream, and eggs. I am partial to the classic Spanish version, which is  the recipe I chose to use. 

Allow the cooked churros to dry on plate, lined with paper towels ( to seep up any excess oil)

Dredge churros in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Tap off any excess. 

Serve with caramel, chocolate, or plain.

                            

Oui Oui-French Macaroons

You will need: 1 cup of ground almonds,  1/4 cup of super fine (bakers sugar), 3 egg whites (or egg white alternative), and 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar. Preheat 

As you may already know, I am in love with all things French. There is just something the French have, (especially with food) that no one can seem to replicate. Everything they do is just so...chic. There is a certain femininity that is essentially French.

Finely grind Almonds in a food Processor. ( Be careful not to over grind, or it will turn into almond butter)

The complexity of French food is fascinating in its own right. There is such precision and passion behind their food. It such a key part to their way of life. They have mastered and perfected the art of cooking, to such a degree that no other culture could even come close. 

Add Powdered sugar, and pulse until it becomes a smooth mixture.

I have always wanted to make French Macaroons. After seeing the elaborate bakeries in France, I knew it was something that needed to be added to my baking bucket list.  Now that they have become so fashion forward, it has made me want to pursue them even more.  

Beat Egg whites (or alternative) until frothy, then add superfine sugar.

 Pierre Desfontaines Ladurée (Creator of the infamous Ladurée Bakery) thought to put two meringues together, thus, creating the first French Macaroon. He originally used ganache to bind the two, now a number of different fillings are used. Some of them are: buttercream, curd, jam, and salted caramel.

Whip on high until rather stiff peaks form. ( Warning: do not over beat)

They are often served with coffee or tea. They can even be found at high teas, and other special occasions. Macaroons have a distinctly nutty taste, with pairs well black tea and even espresso.

Fold almond flour mixture into the egg whites with a spatula. (Egg whites will deflate a bit)

French macaroons have developed a high status, and have even been named number seven in the ten most expensive desserts. This is because of Macaroons Haute Couture's $7,000 price tag. It is hard to believe that someone would charge that much for almond meringues. They allow the customer to choose all of their macaroon flavors. 

Divide batter in separate bowls and add food coloring.

Usually, Macaroons are colored in light pastel hues. I decided to make mine brightly colored for a creative fun twist. 

Put batter into piping bags, and pipe onto a LINED baking sheet. (I used a SILPAT, but parchment paper works great. This is a must!!)

If you do not line your baking sheet, the macaroons will stick to the pan, and crack when you attempt to move them.

Let Macaroons sit for 45-50 minutes before baking. Once they are no longer tacky/sticky, they should be ready to bake. 

Letting the meringues sit is vital to their success. By doing this, a skin is able to form over the top of them. When they are baked, it forces the air to leave through the bottom creating "legs", which are a distinct characteristic of French Macaroons. They are the little ridge area at the bottom of the macaroons.

Bake for 10-12 minutes until firm to touch.

If you macaroons come out cracked or without "legs" it is probably because, they weren't able to sit long enough before baking them. It could also have to do with the whipping of the egg whites, but it is more likely due to the sitting time. 

Add filling, and put two macaroons together, creating a sandwich.  I used a simple buttercream

If you are not serving your macaroons immediately, you can keep them in an air tight container, layering wax paper between each macaroon. Makes about 16 macaroons (depending on size).

magnifique!!