Rose Cake, Revisited

I love making this Rose Cake!  I gave it a bit of a new look this time by using a different piping tip.  I also knew I didn't want to pipe a Happy Birthday message directly onto the cake, so I made a fondant circle cutout to set on top.

4 Layer Red Velvet Cake with my favorite Cream Cheese Buttercream

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

Another delicious cake... Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake.

I started with my favorite chocolate cake recipe, and while the taste was perfect, it wasn't sturdy enough to stand up to the peanut butter buttercream.  I'm still looking for a chocolate cake recipe that will bake up pretty & sturdy!

I torted the layers and filled them with the peanut butter buttercream.  I used a chocolate frosting for the writing and decorating for the ultimate spin on a peanut butter cup, in cake form!

Peanut Butter Buttercream
adapted from Wilton

1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup shortening (you can use all butter if you wish)
3/4 cup peanut butter*
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar
4-6 tablespoons heavy cream

Cream butter, shortening, and peanut butter in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment until smooth & creamy.  Add vanilla and mix until combined.  Slowly add the powdered sugar and continue to mix until it is completely mixed in.  At this point, the mixture will be very dry and crumby.  Add the cream slowly, and as it combines, turn the mixer up to medium and let it beat for 1 or 2 minutes, until fluffy.  You may need to add a bit more cream to get it to a thin spreading consistency.

I used a double batch to fill and ice this cake.

*I used 1/2 cup peanut butter & 1/4 cup Nutella & I highly recommend you do the same!

Creme Brulee Cake

 Creme Brulee Cake

4 layer Caramel custard Cake, filled and iced with Caramel Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Galakto-whato?

These rolls have become an Easter tradition in our family.  The Greek name for them is Galaktoboureko, which I'm not even sure I can say correctly, but we just call them farina rolls.
 

Farina, more commonly known as semolina, or cream of wheat, is cooked into a custard with milk and eggs, and then rolled into sheets of phyllo dough which have been generously brushed with melted butter.  They are baked up until golden brown and crispy, and are then doused in a simple syrup flavored with cinnamon, amp; vanilla, & sometimes orange or lemon.  Completely delicious served right out of the oven, and just as good served room temperature the next day - they may be the perfect dessert.  I've also seen had this served up as a pie, but it's just more fun to eat in cute little cigar sized rolls :)

I was lucky enough to receive a reprinted copy of an old church cookbook that my Grandma used to cook out of, so I know this recipe is as authentic as it gets.

Galaktoboureko
For the custard:
1/2 cup farina/semolina/cream of wheat (not instant!)
3 cups milk
4 egg
1 cup sugar
1 Tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla
zest of one orange (optional)

Heat the milk over medium heat until warmed through.  Combine eggs, farina & sugar in another bowl, then add to milk mixture.Continue to cook over medium-low heat until it thickens (approximately 10 minutes).  Add butter and vanilla, then let cool completely before proceeding.

To make the rolls:
You'll need 1 lb of phyllo dough, thawed, and 1 stick of butter (at least!) melted.

Cut one sheet of phyllo in half (the short way), brush with butter and fold in half (the short side, again).  Add a tablespoon of custard, roll the top over once, then fold the sides in and roll the rest of the way.  Repeat until all the custard is used or you run out of phyllo.  When you finish each roll, place into a jelly roll pan and keep covered with a damp towel, as you would with the unused phyllo.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, until golden brown and crispy.  When rolls come out of the oven pour the simply syrup on them while they are still hot.

Syrup
3 cups sugar
2 cups water
1 tsp vanilla
1 cinnamon stick
lemon or orange peel

Boil sugar, water, cinnamon stick, and fruit peel until thickened.  Remove peel and stir in vanilla.  Let cool before using.

It's all Greek to me...

Tsoureki is a traditional Greek Easter bread that is sweet & spiced & rich like brioche.  It often has a red egg (or two) baked into it to represent new life (the egg) & the blood of Christ (the red).

Or sometimes the eggs are pink, because the packet of Greek red egg dye your Aunt sent you has instructions that include measurements such as "a bowl of water" and "a glass of vinegar" & you just have to guess at how much to use.  Regardless, the loaf was pretty from being braided & brushed with an egg washed and topped with a sprinkle of sesame seeds, & I got to cook out of a cookbook that my Grandma used.

I'm not going to include a recipe for this because I wasn't 100% happy with the recipe.  It called for 3 teaspoons of salt for 1 loaf of bread.  Of sweet bread.  I had to read it a couple times, and considered altering it, but it was from an old church cookbook, so I went with it.  And my bread was salty.  Next year, i'll know to not use as much salt & be sure to find some mahlepi (a seasoning made with ground cherry stones) to make it even more authentic.

Peep Show

I've been wanting to make marshmallows for at least a few months, if not longer.  I saw beautiful marshmallows pop up on many other blogs and I couldn't get over how fluffy & pretty they looked.  I planned to make them during my Christmas baking, and ran out of time.  I recently saw some home made Peeps that Martha Stewart had made and put them on my baking list for this weekend.  They almost got skipped over again due to time constraints, but I was able to fit them in at the last minute.  These are so easy to make - they hardly take any time at all.  The taste is so worth it, too.  Make sure to use a good vanilla or other flavoring, as that will really shine through.

Piping Marshmallow
from Martha Stewart

1 cup sugar
1 packet unflavored gelatin
water
1 tsp of vanilla or other flavoring

Mix 1/3 cup cold water with a packet of unflavored gelatin in a bowl of a stand mixer and let sit for 5 minutes.    While you are waiting for the gelatin to bloom, combine 1/4 cup water with 1 cup sugar in a saucepan and heat over medium high heat.  Stir until the sugar and water are combined and they come to a boiler.  Let boil without stirring.  Using a candy thermometer, let the mixture boil until it reaches 238 degrees (soft ball).  Once the sugar mixture reaches 238, shut the heat off.  Add the sugar syrup to the gelatin mixture, and stir with the whisk attachment for a few minutes.  Once fully combined and slightly cool, add the flavoring of your choice, then mix on medium high for 8-10 minutes, until the mixture is fluffy and forms stiff peaks.

You'll want to use the mixture immediately, so while it's mixing, prepare a piping bag (or gallon sized freezer bag) with a piping tip.  Transfer the mixture to the bag and pipe onto a baking sheet generously sprinkled with sanding or white sugar.  Pipe into shapes of your choice, sprinkling with sugar after piping each shape.

To make the "Peep" shape, I used a Wilton #12 tip and piped an oval, then added a head and tail.  It takes some practice, but they'll eventually being to resemble little chicks.

The marshmallows will set up after 15-20 minutes.  Store in an airtight container.

Banana Bread

Even though I already have a go-to banana bread recipe, I still love trying new recipes.  I've heard nothing but rave reviews about the recipes that come out of the Baking Illustrated by Cooks Illustrated cookbook that I bought a few months ago.  With a couple of ripe bananas to use up, I flipped to the recipe & got started.

Banana Bread
from Baking Illustrated

• 2 cups all purpose flour (unbleached) and some for dusting
• 1 1/4 cups walnuts coarse chop (optional - I omitted)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 very ripe bananas, mashed well
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt (I used vanilla)
• 2 large eggs lightly beaten
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cool
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with the rack in the middle position.  If you're going to add nuts, toast them on a baking sheet in the oven for 5-10 minutes, watching carefully.  Mix together dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking soda & salt) in a large bowl.  In another bowl, mash the bananas, and add the yogurt, eggs, butter and vanilla, mixing until well combined. Gently fold the banana mixture into the dry ingredients, until just combined; the mixture may still be a little lumpy.  Pour into your prepared 9x5 loaf pan (I just used cooking spray) and bake for 55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean - mine took closer to 65 minutes.  Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack.  Serve warm or at room temperature.  Wrap the loaf for storage for up to 3 days.

The result?  Banana bread that had a crusty top, but was perfectly moist inside.  This rose a little higher than my usual recipe, but the taste was very similar.  Either recipe is a winner in my book!