Not So Puffy Puff Pastry

Where shall I begin? I'll start off by saying I made puff pastry. kinda. I made this along with my gal pals Ingrid and Michelle. The recipe was chosen by Ingrid and I was excited about making it because I've always wanted to make puff pastry. Why? Well because I like a good challenge, I like to know that I can make something that I would otherwise just purchase from the store and because that Pepperidge Farm box of puff pastry doesn't actually contain any butter. It's true. And lastly because the real stuff is expensive.

This puff pastry recipe is kind of a shortcut version. It's not made like a typical puff pastry is made. Puff pastry generally starts off like homemade croissants would, by folding dough over a slab of butter. Repeat, repeat, repeat until you end up with layers upon layers of butter and dough. But this recipe has you incorporate the ingredients into a mixer bowl, create a dough, then fold it like an envelope a few times, with refrigeration in between. I didn't have very much success with this method. I had problems from the very beginning. I mixed for the recommended amount of time (I even set a timer) but it quickly became overmixed. Perhaps it was too warm and melded together despite chilling the ingredients??? At this point I should have started over but I was out of butter. So, I added the liquid and it didn't absorb so I added more flour. Then I forgot to refrigerate after the first turn but I proceeded on and while it looked fine, the end result didn't puff up much- it rose then fell.

I can't say this recipe was faulty, because others have had success with it, but I definitely would not try it again. I feel like I wasted my GOOD butter on this, though I don't regret the challenge because I got to bake with my friends. I don't use puff pasty often but if I ever get a wild hair up my butt and want to try again, I'll try a different recipe and method. If you're feeling adventurous and want to give it a go, then by all means do, the recipe is below. In the meantime, I'll just tell you what I did with mine. I scored the edges of the thawed out dough, prebaked it at 400F for 15 minutes, then topped it with pesto, garlic, caramelized onions, Boursin cheese, shrimp, bacon and cherry tomatoes and baked it for another 20 minutes til the pastry was golden. The edges of the pastry were tender, flaky and buttery but the middle was gummy. Overall, this recipe was a disappointment, but at least I walk away from it with knowledge of what to do next time.

Homemade Puff Pastry from The Art & Soul of Baking via Tracey's Culinary Adventures

• 4 1/2 sticks (18 oz) cold unsalted butter
• 3 cups (15 oz) all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons (3 oz) very cold water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar

Cut the butter into 3/4-inch cubes. Transfer the cubes to the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the flour and salt to the bowl also and use your hands to mix briefly, until the butter is coated with flour. Put the bowl in the refrigerator to chill for 20 minutes. Combine the water and vinegar in a measuring cup and chill this mixture in the fridge for 20 minutes as well.

After 20 minutes, remove the mixer bowl from the fridge and attach to a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. You want the butter to break into smaller pieces of varying sizes (the largest about 1/2-inch square); be careful, however, not to over-mix - if the butter is too small, it will be unable to form flaky layers in your puff pastry.

With the mixer still on low speed, slowly add the water/vinegar mixture to the bowl, drizzling in different points around the bowl. When the dough begins to come together in large chunks (within about 10 seconds), stop the mixer. The dough will be slightly moist but it will not look smooth. Turn the contents of the bowl onto a floured work surface.

Use your hands to shape the dough into a rough rectangle about 6 x 8 inches and 1 1/2 inches thick. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a 14 x 16-inch rectangle. You can flour the dough a bit if necessary, but brush the excess flour away once you've finished rolling the dough out. Fold the dough into thirds like a letter. Start with a narrower side facing you and begin by folding the bottom third up. Next, fold the top third down to complete the "turn."

After you complete the first turn, roll your rolling pin across the top of the dough gently 1 or 2 times, just to fuse the dough. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes. You'll want to repeat this process 2 more times - to create three turns total. Continue to chill the dough for 30 minutes between turns. Once you've completed all 3 turns, chill the dough (wrapped in plastic wrap) for at least 1 hour before using.

Cut the dough into 2 pieces, roll out each piece (my measurements were about 12x15-inches) and double wrap in plastic wrap. The dough can be refrigerated for 2 days or frozen for 4-6 weeks. Thaw frozen dough overnight in the refrigerator.

Refer to your desired recipe for oven temps and cooking times.

Makes 2 1/4 pounds of dough

Hopefully, Michelle and Ingrid had success with theirs. Go visit them to find out!

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly- Archived But Not Forgotten Recipes

I've never posted a recipe and just linked to it without typing out the recipe. But today, I have a smorgasbord of recipes for you.

I have a ton of recipes in my archives that I've never blogged about, for one reason or another. Maybe because my photos are ugly or I didn't take many, or because the recipe was less than stellar. Some I experimented with and don't have recipes for but I decided to go through my photo archives share with you some of my kitchen creations/disasters.

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Red Velvet Cake from Swan's Down- This cake was beautifully red. It sliced perfectly and the contrast of red and white was appealing to me. But it was nasty so it never got blogged. But ain't it pretty?

Golden Pull Apart Butter Buns from King Arthur Flour- Mr. H really loved these rolls but I didn't take many pics so I never blogged about them. I thought they were good but these are still my favorite.

Cherry Tomato & Mozzarella Salad- One my favorite and simple salads- Cubed mozz, halved cherry tomatoes, Paul Newman's Balsamic Vinaigrette and fresh basil. yum!

Fudgy Chocolate Brownies from Martha Stewart- A reader left a comment on my blog awhile back saying these were her favorite brownies. They were tasty but still not my go-to brownie. I'm open to suggestions if you've got any!

Hershey's Milk Chocolate & Toffee Nuggets- This was an experiment and used a recipe that a friend gave me. But they were much more crisp than I wanted. I'll have to play with this one a bit, but basically you can just chop up some Nuggets and toss them in your favorite cookie/blondie batter.

Pineapple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting from My Tasty Treasures- I made this before we went to DC and I didn't like the pictures I took because I ran out of light (this was the only good one). It was a very different cake than I expected but I really liked it. It was sticky and gooey and delicious but I thought the frosting was a bit too sweet.

Classic Crumb Cake from Martha Stewart- This was a waste of 3 1/2 sticks of butter. I'm not sure what I did wrong but it was a little gummy and seemed almost uncooked. I've seen others make the same recipe and theirs turned out fine. Despite the texture, I thought the flavor was a little lackluster.

Spicy Crab Dip- I just made this one up as I went and it was tasty but I didn't jot down a recipe. I just like the blue bowl so I thought I'd share :-)

Rohrnudeln from A Feast For The Eyes- I'm embarrassed to say that I made these a year ago. I never liked the pictures so I never posted them. They were delicious and reminded me of yeasty sweet kolaches with a jam filling. I filled mine with peach jam and topped them with butter and sugar that baked into a crunchy topping.

Guittard Chocolate Chip Bars- A while back I made Guittard chocolate chip cookies. They were super buttery and good but I wanted a bar cookie so I patted them into a baking dish and topped them with more chips. Perfect with a glass of milk.

Garlic Oven Fries from A Feast For The Eyes- I won't be mad at you if you think this picture is ugly. ha ha! These fries (and that chili dog) were yummy but again my pictures stunk because I ran out of light. This was the best photo of the baked fries I could find.

Coffee Ice Cream- I adapted Mr. H's favorite vanilla recipe by adding instant espresso to it. In the end it just wasn't as coffee-y as we hoped for. Note to self: Add lots more coffee next time!

Hasselback Potatoes- I can't remember where I found the technique for this recipe, but you basically slice them but still keep them attached, season and butter, then bake til tender. I didn't take photos of the final product and while they were good we still like a loaded baked potato better. I served these with Steak Diane from Vanilla Sugar. so good!

Black & White Angel Food Cake from Ina Garten- I made this a year ago for my MIL's birthday. She loves angel food cake and I had always wanted to make this recipe but I was a bit disappointed. The ganache thickened up too much and ended up peeling off the cake. The next day I topped it with chocolate sauce and strawberries which made it prettier, but I still don't like angel food cake. I served it with pomegranate pear sorbet which was the best part!

I hope you've enjoyed my little slide show of recipes. Do you have any recipes in your archives that you haven't blogged about for once reason or another? Please share!

"Coconut" Cake, I Resent You.

Have you ever had a dessert that was so completely ugly but it was so good that it didn't even matter? Or a beautifully plated masterpiece that was dry and lackluster that it made you resent it's good looks? Yeah well this "coconut" cake falls into the second category.

Coconut is put into quotations because I don't think a yellowish cake with a handful of shredded coconut folded into it constitutes a coconut cake! This cake had it's ups and down. It was gorgeous, there's no doubt about that. I was even impressed with myself because it looked so ethereal. It was so white and cloud like. It had a good amount of coconut on and in it and the frosting was good. But then again it's hard to screw up cream cheese frosting.

I use a large cookie scoop to portion out my batter so I get even amounts in each pan. Then I use an offset spatula to spread it out into the crevices.

It's down sides were that it was HEAVY and DENSE and dry and didn't taste like coconut. It had almond and vanilla extract in it which was good but that's what the cake tasted like--not coconut. I think this cake could have been benefited from some coconut milk or cream of coconut, maybe even coconut extract. It was just lacking something, which is pretty sad when it contains 3 sticks of butter and 5 eggs! I read the reviews on this cake and a lot of people really loved it while all the others agree with me and didn't. Make it and let me know what you think.

And did I mention this was for my in-laws 38th wedding anniversary. I had every intention of making a different cake but she kept hinting that she really wanted a coconut cake. No one really had any comments about it- good or bad, but I knew it was NOT a hit when my MIL didn't want to take any home with her. And sadly, I didn't blame her. A good portion of this went in the trash. I'll have to redeem myself on their 39th!

"Coconut" Cake by Ina Garten

• 3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temp., plus more for greasing the pans
• 2 cups sugar
• 5 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pans
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup milk
• 4 ounces sweetened shredded coconut

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 (9-inch) round cake pans, then line them parchment paper. Grease them again and dust lightly with flour.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until light yellow and fluffy. Crack the eggs into a small bowl. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl once during mixing. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix well. The mixture might look curdled; don't be concerned.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the dry ingredients and the milk to the batter in 3 parts, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Fold in the 4 ounces of coconut with a rubber spatula.

Pour the batter evenly into the 2 pans and smooth the top with a knife. Bake in the center of the oven for 45 to 55 minutes, until the tops are browned and a cake tester comes out clean. Cool on a baking rack for 30 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto a baking rack to finish cooling.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
• 1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 6 ounces sweetened shredded coconut

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and almond extract on low speed. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix until just smooth (don't whip!).

To assemble, place 1 layer on a flat serving plate, top side down, and spread with frosting. Place the second layer on top, top side up, and frost the top and sides. To decorate the cake, sprinkle the top with coconut and lightly press more coconut onto the sides. Serve at room temperature.

Happy 38th Anniversary N&B!

Wilton Course 1, Class 3 and A Recipe

Updated:

A reader emailed me to let me know that she made this recipe and added eggs and the cake didn't sink! I tried it out and it was perfect. The recipe below reflects those changes.

This is my final cake for my Wilton class. I'm not totally thrilled with it, but I think it's fair. I do have to say that the actual cake and frosting were excellent but the roses are much harder then they look.

I made a dozen roses in class but these were the best looking ones. I think they look like purple cabbages :-) The main issue I have with the roses is that the edges are jagged. In the Wilton instruction book, the roses are perfect and smooth. Clearly they are not using the same icing and they're photo shopped. Even the instructors roses were jagged so I don't feel too badly.

I do have to say though that I don't think icing roses are my thing. I understand they have their place on Grandma's 80th birthday cake, but I don't see myself putting them on very many cakes in the future. I'd still like to practice with other icings to see if I can get them smoother. I thinned my icing a bit and that helped, but the roses sagged a bit because the icing wasn't so stiff. Oh well.

My shell/snail border turned out okay. I think the bottom turned out better than the top, but with practice I'll get better.

Moving on to the cake... this recipe comes from Sky High Cakes. It has some excellent recipes in it, so I turned to them for this one bowl chocolate cake and instant fudge frosting. The frosting was super simple to make because it's made in a matter of seconds in the food processor. You MUST make this frosting. It smelled so good too.

And the cake was equally good but it SUNK in the middle. (Ingrid, I know you're laughing at me!) I made it twice because I thought I had done something wrong the first time, but it sunk AGAIN the second time around. It rose just fine in the oven but once it came out and cooled, it sunk and became fudgey in the center. (I had to level off my cake with extra frosting.) It was still very tasty so I'm not considering it a full blown disaster. I think it would be excellent baked into cupcakes and topped with a scoop of ice cream. NOTE: The addition of the eggs resolves the sinking in the center of the cake.

One-Bowl Chocolate Cake from Sky High ~makes two 8 or 9-inch layers

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 8 or 9-inch pans. Line the bottoms with parchment or waxed paper, butter the paper.

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Use a wire whisk to blend the dry ingredients thoroughly.

Add the oil and 1/2 cup of the water to the dry ingredients. Add another 1/2 cup water, eggs and the vanilla; again whisk until smooth. Divide the batter between the two prepared pans.

Bake the cake layers for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes; then invert onto cooling rack. Remove the paper liners and let cool completely at least 1 hour before frosting.

Instant Fudge Frosting from Sky High

• 6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
• 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 sticks (12 oz.) unsalted butter, room temp.
• 6 tablespoons half-n-half
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse to incorporate. Process until frosting is smooth.

~Makes 5 cups (I halved this recipe for a 9-inch 2 layer cake).

NOTE: A large food processor is the best piece of equipment to use for this frosting recipe. It whips up a perfect fudge frosting and there is no need for a boiled syrup.

Strawberry Lovin'

This is my submission for Rach's June Baking Challenge. The challenge for this month was strawberries! Yesterday was my birthday (yay!) and I was going to post my celebration dessert, but I didn't want to feel rushed in editing the photos and uploading the recipe so instead, I present you with Strawberry and Blueberry Cobbler Cake. I originally spotted this cake at The Kitchen Sink and was taken aback. It looked so lovely. Kristen said it tasted almost like a strawberry shortcake. I'm not a huge fan of shortcakes so I wasn't sure I wanted to make this but I'm glad I did.

I did have a minor problem when I made this. I doubled the recipe and put equal amounts into 2 pie plates. One for us and one for my neighbor- their son was graduating. Only I wanted to use my new-to-me Corning ware pie plate that I got from Goodwill for only $2.99! Only that's where my problem was. The recipe calls for a 10-inch pie plate and this one was significantly smaller so it overflowed in the oven and burned all over the place. It was a freakin' mess.

I immediately smelled the smoke and rushed into the kitchen. I pulled out both cakes- the Pyrex pie plate was just fine- thank God! I scraped the over-flowing lava-like cake batter off of the edge and took out about half a cup of batter. I cleaned the oven as best I could and popped them back into the oven to finish their baking with a sheet pan underneath them, just in case.

With 10 minutes left to go on my kitchen timer, I went to check on the cakes and the berries had completely sunk despite me flouring them :-( Bummer, I hate when that happens. So I added a few more blueberries to the top of the cake and popped them back in. When the timer beeped at me I went to check them and they looked perfect. Nothing like they should but, but perfect to me.

Oh my gawd, this was delicious! I didn't think my husband was going to like it, but he went back for seconds! We finished this cake off in a day and a half, it was that good. It didn't taste like a shortcake to me at all. It was definitely cakey, but very moist (maybe because I added more fruit) buttery, vanilla-y and very reminiscent to a cobbler, so I renamed it. Beside if I want strawberry cake, Ill make this one! Despite my many mishaps, I would definitely make this cake again (in my Pyrex pie plate, not my pretty Corning ware find) :-)

Strawberry and Blueberry Cobbler Cake adapted from Martha Stewart

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pie plate
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons raw sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
• 1/2 cup fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10-inch pie plate. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together into a medium bowl.

Put butter and 1 cup sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low; mix in egg, buttermilk, and vanilla.

Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture. Transfer batter to buttered pie plate. Arrange strawberries on top of batter, cut sides down and as close together as possible. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons raw or granulated sugar over berries.

Bake cake 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake until cake is golden brown and firm to the touch, about 1 hour. Let cool in pie plate on a wire rack. Cut into wedges. Cake can be stored at room temperature, loosely covered, up to 2 days.

NOTE: You can use all strawberries (1 pound) or a combination of berries that you prefer. Use enough to cover the top of the batter.

Spring Celebration Cake

I made this cake for Rach's April Baking Challenge. The theme for this month is Spring! When I think of Spring, I think of warmer weather, pastel colors, and new growth. It also makes me think of my sister because I make this cake for her every year on her birthday. This cake officially marks the start of spring for me.

This strawberry cake comes out of my favorite cookbook: Favorite Recipes For Our Friends. My grandmother gave me this cookbook over 10 years ago. It may have been the only cookbook she owned and she got it from The First National Bank in my hometown back in 1975! In the book are recipes contributed from the towns people for a community fundraiser. I have made several recipes from this book including my all time favorite- Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake (Yoohoo! Food Librarian, this one is for you!)

I have adapted this recipe from the original by cutting down the amount of oil and upping the strawberry factor. Some may turn their nose up to the fact that it has strawberry jello in it that gives it it's color and adds flavor, but it's perfect everytime, and I'm okay with that. Over the years I have made this cake in may forms- loaf pans, in cupcakes, with and without frosting, making homemade cream cheese frosting and with the canned stuff. This by far is my favorite way. Whatever frosting you choose, be sure to add freshly sliced strawberries on the top in a concentric pattern and jaws will drop. This cake is extremely moist, flavorful, and easy and everyone always comments on how beautiful it is.

This would be perfect for Mother's Day. I hope you enjoy!

Strawberry Cake adapted from Favorite Recipes

• 1 box white cake mix
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup frozen strawberries, thawed
• 1 small box strawberry Jello
• 1/2 cup hot water

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a small bowl or a measuring cup, dissolve Jello in hot water. Set aside and let cool while mixing the rest of the ingredients.

In a large bowl, mix together cake mix, oil, eggs, and thawed strawberries. Thoroughly mix in the gelatin mixture. Pour into 2 9-inch cake pans and bake for 35 minutes.

Allow to cool completely in pans before inverting onto a cooling rack or cake platter. Cover in frosting of your choice.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Meringue Buttercream from Cafe Johnsonia

• 1 cup pureed strawberries
• 1 lb. unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• 5 egg whites
• 1/8 tsp. cream of tartar
• 1/2 tsp. pure almond extract
• 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Beat the butter and cream cheese together with an electric mixer until fluffy. Chill until cold.

Place the egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer and fit it with the whisk attachment. Turn mixer on medium speed until egg whites are foamy. While the mixer is running start preparing the sugar syrup.

In a small saucepan, stir together sugar and water. Bring to a boil and let cook, without stirring, until it reaches 235 degrees (sea level) or 230 degrees (high altitude) on a candy thermometer. At this point, turn the mixer on high and beat the egg whites until they are stiff, but not dry.

Continue to cook the syrup until the syrup reaches 240 degrees (sea level) or 234 degrees (high altitude)** (see NOTE). Remove it from heat and carefully pour the syrup against the side of the bowl into the egg whites while the mixer is still running. Continue beating on high for 3-5 minutes, or until steam stops rising from the mixing bowl.

Turn the mixer down a bit and add the chilled butter and cream cheese mixture a spoonful at a time. Don't worry if it becomes curdled. Just keep beating it and it will come back together. When all the butter/cream cheese has been added, add the extracts, beat well again. Then add the strawberry puree. It will separate a bit--keep beating and it will come back together.

Use it immediately, or keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 or 3 days. It will also freeze well for about a month or so.

Arrange sliced strawberries on top of the cake, starting from the outside and working your way in. Place a whole strawberry in the center.

**NOTE: I live at sea level and cooked my sugar syrup til it reached 240 degrees F. It continued to heat in the pan even after I took it off the flame and crept up several degrees, reaching the Hard Ball Stage. I added it to the egg whites and the sugar syrup turned stringy and clung to the side of my bowl. I continued to whip it and it had chunks of sugar in it. I dumped it and had to start over :-( The second time around, I heated the sugar syrup to just over 230 degrees F (sea level) and it rose up to 240F off the flame and it was perfect. Keep this in mind when making this so you don't overcook your syrup.

Visit Rachel to see her Spring creation!