Page 122: Apple Pie

Blogger note: I apparently drafted this in November and never published it! My apologies! Better late than never I suppose...

My Thanksgiving baking continues!

I had been wanting to make this apple pie for a couple of weeks... ever since I tried to make it and didn't have spelt flour so ended up making apple crisp instead. While apple crisp turned out great, I was anxious to both cross this recipe off the list and take my first ever shot at making a pie.

Full disclosure: I was just a mess of efficient ideas gone bad this Thanksgiving. My downfall on the pie was my grand idea to make the dough for the crust the night before. The recipe calls for a 20 minute refrigeration between making the dough and rolling it out for the crust. I, somehow, took the liberty to think this meant I would obtain similar results by refrigerating it not 20, but 720 minutes.

Given what I know about the chemistry of coconut oil (an ingredient in everything BabyCakes it would seem), I cannot believe I didn't think through what would happen to this dough after 12 hours in the fridge. And yet, I was shocked to find the pie dough had solidified into a rock hard disk when I pulled it from the refrigerator on Thanksgiving day.

Unfortunately, I had used up the last of my vat of coconut oil on the corn muffins so I couldn't start over - my only option was to hope that when warmed to room temperature, it would magically transform back into workable pie dough.

I wasn't entirely disappointed, but it was in no way as malleable as it had been the day before. I managed to roll it out, but it didn't hold together well and it was tough to get a nice, thin dough (I also think it would help to invest in a real, heavy rolling pin rather than use my little pastry roller).

The high point in the making of this recipe was how amazing my house smelled when I roasted the apples for the filling. So yummy.

I also made a few baby pies in my new, adorable ramekins (thanks, Angie!!). I thought these were just the cutest little things ever.

The finished product was actually quite yummy, but the dough was a little dense. Like the corn bread fiasco, I think I have to accept responsibility for that and try it again - this time actually following the directions! While it's probably tough to get a flaky pastry dough that is also gluten free, I can't help but think it would have been lighter if I'd been able to roll it out as intended.

It may not have been super light and flaky, but the flavor was great and the BabyCakes roasted apples are just delicious! I really need to find more excuses to roast apples. And, since there is at least one more recipe (Apple-Cinnamon Muffins) that calls for them, I'm sure they will be making an appearance again soon!

Page 53: Corn Bread

Happy belated Thanksgiving!

Since I was already planning to do some baking for the holiday, I thought it would be most efficient to use this opportunity to inch slightly closer toward the BabyCakes goal. While not a traditional part of the Thanksgiving meal, I felt like corn bread was a sufficiently fallish recipe. The BabyCakes corn bread is in the teacakes chapter, and teacakes are some of my favorite treats! I also thought that if I made a batch of Morgan's homemade pumpkin butter to accompany the corn bread at dinner, it could certainly pass as standard Thanksgiving fare.

The corn bread recipe calls for it to be baked in a loaf pan, like a teacake. Not a brownie pan or muffin tins, but rather a standard loaf pan. I adore this idea and thought how decadent it would be to slather some earth balance on a slice of corn bread masquerading as a teacake. However, I was having dinner with roughly thirty people... one little loaf pan was just not going to cut it. Granted, I wasn't responsible to feed the whole crew, but I thought it might be rude to take a dish with only ten servings. So, I rectified the situation with my darling little mini muffin pan. "Perfect..." I thought to myself... "then everyone will get to sample the amazing BabyCakes corn bread that is sure to result from my efforts."

First thing Thursday morning, I set out to make my ingenious mini corn bread muffins. My hidden agenda here was that the hubby and I could enjoy a few for breakfast with the pumpkin butter I'd made the night before.

The ingredients seemed normal enough... including gluten-free flour, cornmeal, and corn flour. And, I think you'll agree, the result was adorable little golden nuggets that oozed with the feeling of fall.

Warm out of the oven they were tasty enough. Hubby's only immediate comment was that they seemed to turn to dough in his mouth. Not such a bad thing in my opinion, but he wasn't necessarily complaining either.

Topped with Morgan's pumpkin butter.
How much more fallish can you get?

However, the more these muffins cooled the less impressed I was by them. By the time I took them to dinner, I found myself explaining to everyone that they should really add the pumpkin butter for more flavor. It didn't help my cause that they ended up on the dessert table instead of the dinner table... and, let's be real here, the world's best corn bread cannot possibly compete with a Thanksgiving dessert table.

Also, somewhat mysteriously, after they cooled I noticed they had little orange specks throughout the muffin. Strange I thought... particularly since there were absolutely no orange ingredients. Still haven't figured that one out.

In summary, I take full responsibility for being entirely underwhelmed by the BabyCakes corn bread as I did not bake it in the form and manner designed. I think I owe this corn bread another shot - this time in a loaf pan. Even if it doesn't feed 30.

Baking with Jaedyn

My niece, Jaedyn, visited me recently so she got to participate in a few of my most recent baking adventures.  Jaedyn loves to help out in the kitchen! Even though it's sometimes messier, I love the "help" and miss having little fingers sneaking samples of ingredients like sugar and chocolate chips (both of which she happily eats by the handful).

Even though I, in classic fashion, totally forgot to photograph any of our adventures, my sister managed to snap a few photos of us making chocolate chip cookie sandwiches. That's right... I'm training her well.

Stirring up the cookie batter

She was very proud of her work!

The perks of being a kitchen assistant

She stopped licking the beaters long enough to help me add the chocolate chips!

Little brother Jonah was eager to try the finished product

"This is how you make the perfect sandwich"

"Now you try..."

Licking frosting off your fingers is the best part!

Well done, Jaedyn!

Page 88: Healthy Hostess

It was time for another bake sale at work and I decided to be adventurous. This was, of course, after I had already made the obligatory chocolate chip cookie sandwiches. Plus I think these healthier hostess-like treats are just adorable and I couldn't wait to attempt to recreate them.

I'm still not a fan of the BabyCakes cupcakes, but with the filling inside these babies it did help keep them moist!

Unfortunately I made this batch before I perfected the half-batch-in-the-Vitamix approach, so the chocolate frosting didn't turn out so well.  The recipe calls for vanilla frosting on top, so perhaps I brought this curse upon myself. Anyway, without chocolate frosting I improvised with a fudge frosting made mostly from melted chocolate chips. I thought this ended up being more hostess-like anyway.

Could have been better, but I was tired and have all but given up on the BabyCakes cupcake. Still a few to go in the book, but probably won't be making these babies again. Sad... they have such cuteness potential!

This being Thanksgiving week you should look forward to not just one but TWO new recipes this week! That's right... making up for lost time here! 

The Quest Continues

If you've followed my BabyCakes quest at all, you'll recall I have a love-hate relationship with the chocolate chip cookie sandwiches. I adore them (and they are in high demand by those lucky enough to have sampled them), but virtually every batch turns out differently.  Thus, they make for an unpredictable and sometimes frustrating baking experience. Lately I'm three for four in successful attempts. Given how delicious they are, I suppose I'll take those odds.

Two of those perfectly successful attempts at the infamous treats were completed during girls' night at my place. Not only do Brooke and Kim apparently serve as good luck charms... but baking with friends makes it even more fun. Plus, I feel slightly less gluttonous keeping only a third of the booty.

Also... frosting making recently became MUCH easier thanks to my new VITAMIX! I love it and we are having fun making lots of new blended treats. And, of course, perfecting the classics like my beloved frosting! After a couple of attempts at frosting with the new gadget, I am slightly sad to report it doesn't always work miracles (at least one soupy post-Vitamix attempt logged to date), but I have discovered that a half batch in the Vitamix seems to perform consistently well.

YAY for the Vitamix!

A couple other items I've repeated lately but neglected to blog about:

1. Chocolate Chip Cookies (several times)... lately with walnuts thanks to an addition by Brooke that the hubby decided he really liked.
2. Banana Bread with Walnuts... overcooked it this time! Sigh. I cannot win. But the 24 mini muffins I made from the extra batter turned out great. A small consolation.
3. Brownies... warm with ice cream - will never get old!
4. Blondies... still a few tucked away in my freezer!
5. Apple Crisp... okay, this is actually kind of new and I suppose I should have photographed it. My apologies! I didn't have the stuff for apple pie crust and the store had neither blackberries nor peaches, so I combined the apple pie filling with the blackberry & peach cobbler topping. Topped with ice cream and it turned out almost caramel-like. Very good.

So there's the rundown. Only new recipes for awhile... I promise!