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Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Father's Day Cake/What Cake are You?



I look like him and I even act like him. We are cut from the same cloth and he always showed me nothing but love and support. The man that I am speaking of is my Dad. Since he passed away in September 2011 there is a void in my heart and Father's Day this year just isn't going to be the same without him. My Dad is definitely living on through me. This one is for you Willie C. Jones

This year I want to find a way to celebrate my Dad and link it to something that I love. What better way to do that then to bake. Earlier today I did a rough sketch of what I wanted the cake to look like that will celebrate my Dad. A member of Que Psi Phi Fraternity purple and Gold was one of his favorite color combinations. Also after being a retired Marine he became a project manager for an international government contracting company so he had a lot of ties. I wanted to combine these things into one cake.



My plan is to first make a sheet cake the is covered in buttercream icing. Then with cupcakes I will place them in the shape of a tie and ice them purple and gold. The cupcakes will give the tie a 3D effect. I will then pipe the words on the sheet cake in black and white. When I do make this cake I will be sure to post a blog about it.

If I were a cake at this point in my life I would be a Rocky Road Float. Why you ask and what is a rocky road float you ask? A Rocky Road Float is something that I came up with. It's a layered cake with pound cake on the bottom layer and a chocolate cake with caramel, pecans, and walnuts on the top layer. I will do a blog post on the recipe one day. These past 8 months have been a rocky road for me with the passing away of my Dad in September and my Grandma shortly after in December, but I have floated along and kept my head up continuing to push forward.

If you could be any cake at this point in your life what kind would you be and why?

I am looking forward to reading your answers below in the comments and I can be contacted at savorthebaking@hotmail.com

Savor The Baking,
Chineka


Monday, May 28, 2012

Memorial Day-Beef Short Ribs


Red, white, and blue flags line the streets and patriotism is going strong on this day. This is the day, Memorial Day, we set aside to remember those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. We should not only remember this on today, but everyday.

Today my husband and I just relaxed and enjoyed each others company. I looked through a few baking books at Books-A-Million and looked at the variety of meats at Sam's Club.
 
Food is also a big part of the Memorial Day celebration. Barbecues and beach bashes reign on this day with it unofficially marking the beginning of Summer. For those of you who are looking for a way to cook delicious meat without using the grill I have a recipe for you: Barbecue Beef Short Ribs.

Ingredients:
Beef Short Ribs
Season All
Garlic Powder
Black Pepper
White Vinegar

Recipe:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

1) Marinate the beef short ribs with season all, garlic powder, and black pepper overnight.
2) Boil some water in a stock pot and add a cup of white vinegar for 30 minutes. This helps to make the ribs  tender.


3) Place the ribs in a casserole dish lined with tin foil and cover the ribs with barbecue sauce. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

 4) Enjoy!!!

If you cook these ribs let me know how you like them. What are some of your favorite recipe's for Memorial Day?

I can be contacted at savorthebaking@hotmail.com.

Friday, May 25, 2012

Feature Fridays:Cupcakes Magazine (Better Homes and Gardens)


Better Homes and Gardens periodically has special magazines throughout the year and I was lucky enough to come across this magazine earlier this week. While in the exchange I came upon this cupcake magazine and I loved everything about it from the bright pictures to the featured bloggers. There are cupcakes for every occasion in this magazine ranging from weddings to showers. You can already see the variety of cupcakes that adorn the cover ranging from elegant to fun and creative. There is a cupcake for everyone in this magazine.


 The pages of the magazine have beautiful pictures of the cupcakes that are featured along with the recipes to match. The pineapple carrot cupcake is the perfect cupcake for fall.  It's like a spice cupcake with the sweetness of pineapple throughout. Since my husband is a big fan of pineapples I'm sure that he will love this cupcake. The Chocolate Peppermint Cupcake would be great to bake as gifts or for a holiday party around Christmas. I like how the background in the picture is dark so the peppermints can stand out.


If you've ever had a question about how to make a specific icing then this magazine is the answer to your questions. A page features the different type of icings and how to make each one. Cream Cheese Icing has got to be my favorite icing. It tastes so good and goes with most cake and cupcakes that are baked. It is a versatile type of icing and will be sure to be a crowd pleasure with any occasion. What is your favorite type of icing and why?


Bloggers are even featured in this magazine. Rachel and Nichelle from http://www.cupcakestakethecake.blogspot.com are featured. They talk about their blog and even share a cupcake recipe with us that features fresh strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries. This cupcake screams Summer and 4th of July picnics.


Last, but not least I love how this magazine has how to's throughout it on how to do really creative decorations on some of the cupcakes that are featured. This how to is showing you how to  make butterfly wings out of pretzels and candy coating. It's a simple way to add color and creativity to any cupcake.

Any baker would enjoy this magazine and I hope that you will go and take a look at it in the magazine sections of your stores. Have a blessed and safe memorial day weekend and I can be contacted at savorthebaking@hotmail.com.

Savor the Baking,
Chineka

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Weight and Measurement Substitutions

If you  are like me, math is not your strongest subject, while writing and creative subjects are. Weight and Measurement substitutions can be hard to figure out, but I have a solution for you. It will be ideal to make a cute weight and measurement substitution chart to hang in your kitchen for easy access. 

Finding a chalk board surface and using fabric as the border would be a nice way to incorporate the chart into your kitchen. Below is a list of the most commonly used weight and measurement substitutions. I hope that this helps you to simplify the science of baking a little more.

3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon                                   
4 tablespoons = 1/4 cup                                             
5 1/3 tablespoons = 1/3 cup                                
8 tablespoons = 1/2 cup                                        
10 2/3 tablespoons = 2/3 cup                               
12 tablespoons = 3/4 cup                                      
16 tablespoons = 1 cup                                         
1 ounce = 28.35 grams                                          
1 gram = 0.035 ounces      

 1 cup = 8 fluid ounces 
 1 cup = 1/2 pint 
 2 cups = 1 pint 
 4 cups = 1 quart
 4 quarts = 1 gallon
 8 quarts = 1 peck
 4 pecks = 1 bushel
 1 quart = 946.4 milliliters
 1 liter = 1.06 quarts

Savor the Baking,
Chineka

Monday, May 21, 2012

Mocha Muffins with Buttercream Icing




 I hope that you all had a blessed weekend combined with lots of fun and of course baking a sweet treat or two. On Saturday my husband and I went to Kohl's to check out the baking section and found that they had a variety of baking supplies to suit the many needs of a baker.

What thoughts come to mind when you hear the word Mocha? When I hear the word Mocha I think of drinking a mocha grande Starbucks's Frappuccino topped with whipped cream and chocolate syrup or a fresh brewed cup of coffee to get my day started. I also think of the smell of the coffee aisle when grocery shopping, and how it opens your sense of smell to a whole new world. A muffin isn't the first thought to come to mind, but it sure does make a sweet treat for a tasty breakfast item or a middle of the night snack. 

On Friday night I decided to make these and my husband actually helped me. It was fun to make this recipe together. This recipe doesn't require a mixer to make the muffin batter and it's an easy process to make. This mocha muffin recipe is an adaptation from Joy of Baking.


Ingredients:
1/2 cup (120 ml) buttermilk
1/2 cup (120 ml) safflower, corn, vegetable, or canola oil
1/4 cup (60 ml) french vanilla cappuccino
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (25 grams) regular unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup (205 grams) light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (120 ml) pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts or almonds, coarsely chopped (optional)
1 cup (240 ml) cappuccino, semisweet, milk, or white chocolate chips (optional)


Mocha Muffins Recipe (Makes 12)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

1) In a bowl put 2 eggs, 1/2 cup buttermilk, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 1/4 cup cappuccino, and 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract.

2) Whisk the ingredients together until well blended.

3) In another bowl put 1 3/4 cups of flour, 1/4 cup cocoa powder, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.

4) Whisk ingredients together until well blended.
5) Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir only until all the ingredients are combined.

6) With an ice cream scoop or a large spoon evenly place the batter into the cupcake pan and bake for  15-23 minutes or until a toothpick is inserted in the center and it comes out clean.

7) Let the cupcakes cool for 10-15 minutes before removing from cupcake pan.

 Mocha Muffins Recipe with pictures

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
 1) In a bowl put 2 eggs, 1/2 cup buttermilk, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 1/4 cup cappuccino, and 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract.

2) Whisk the ingredients together until well blended.

3) In another bowl put 1 3/4 cups of flour, 1/4 cup cocoa powder, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.


 4) Whisk ingredients together until well blended.


 5) Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir only until all the ingredients are combined.


6) With an ice cream scoop or a large spoon evenly place the batter into the cupcake pan and bake for 15-23 minutes or until a toothpick is inserted in the center and it comes out clean.

7) Let the cupcakes cool for 10-15 minutes before removing from cupcake pan. As you can see my batter only made 11 cupcakes because used a little but more batter in each cupcake pan, but that's okay. That just means more muffin flavor in ever bite.

Buttercream Icing Ingredients:

2 cups confectioners sugar (powder sugar) sifted
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon milk

Buttercream Icing Recipe
1) In a bowl put 1/2 cup of unsalted butter and mix until well blended
2) Sift 2 cups of confectionary (powdered) sugar into a bowl
3) Add 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract and 2 cups of confectionary (powdered) sugar into the bowl with   the butter and blend well.
4) Apply icing to muffins

Buttercream Icing Recipe with pictures:


1) In a bowl put 1/2 cup of unsalted butter and mix until well blended

2) Sift 2 cups of confectionary (powdered) sugar into a bowl


3) Add 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract and 2 cups of confectionary (powdered) sugar into the bowl with the butter and blend well.

4) Apply icing to muffins. These muffins can be stored for a few days to enjoy.


This is the finished product.Enjoy!!! Comment below if you make these or if you just want to say hello. I can be contacted at savorthebaking@hotmail.com

Savor the Baking,
Chineka

Friday, May 18, 2012

Instagram, Facebook, and Sneak Peek

The picture above is a sneak peek at what my next blog post will be on Monday: How to make Mocha Muffins along with Buttercream Icing. I also want to let everyone know that I now have a facebook page. "Like" my Savor The Baking Blog facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/savorthebakingblog

Instagram Username: Chineka  

If you don't have an instagram you can subscribe to my online instagram at http://www.instagrid.me/chineka/ Have a blessed weekend.


Savor the Baking,
Chineka

Feature Fridays:Favorite Food iPhone Apps


Every Friday I will feature something related to food that may or may not be a recipe. The Friday I decided to feature two of my favorite food iPhone apps. If you are like me you love getting new ideas for recipes and seeing pictures of food. It's even better when it is available on the go.

The first iPhone food app that I am going to feature is Better Homes and Gardens. This app is like a portable Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. My favorite category to look at is desserts. Once you click on the dessert of your choice ingredients, steps to the recipe, nutritional facts, and even a place for you to write notes on the recipe are available. This recipe for the carrot cake has a considerably short prep time.

The second iPhone food app that I am going to feature is foodgawker. This app is a food bloggers dream from pictures to recipes. When you open the app the main screen features the latest recipes.
You can even get to the  blog posts of recipes that you want to know more about by clicking on the paper clip below the picture. This White Bean Patties Recipe is on http://www.runningtothekitchen.com .

What are you favorite food apps? Let me know in the comments below or leave me an email at savorthebaking@hotmail.com. Have a blessed weekend.

Savor the Baking,
Chineka


Thursday, May 17, 2012

Got Cookies? Chocolate Chip Cookies Stuffed with Oreos


In honor of Oreo's 100th anniversary, which was March 6, 2012, I decided to make Chocolate Chip Cookies stuffed with vanilla oreos. I chose to use vanilla oreo's, but you can use chocolate oreo's if you prefer those. I used the chocolate chip cookie recipe that was in the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook and I simplified the instructions so they could be understood easier.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup of brown sugar (I used a little more)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup sifted flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
12 Oreos



Recipe: Makes 12 cookies

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2)  Mix together 1/2 cup of shortening, 1/2 cup of granulated sugar, 1/4 cup of brown sugar, 1 egg, and 1    teaspoon of vanilla until light and fluffy.

3) Place 1 cup of all purpose flour, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of soda in a bowl. Sift these ingredients so they will have no lumps.

4) Add the ingredients above to mixture and blend well.

5) Stir in semisweet chocolate chips.

6) Make 24 cookie dough balls. Take an oreo and put 1 cookie dough ball on each side of it. Shape the cookie dough around the oreo until it is fully covered. Repeat until you have 12 cookies dough balls stuffed with oreo's

7) Place the 12 cookie dough balls stuffed with oreos on a baking sheet with parchment paper underneath. They should be 2 inches apart.

8) Bake for 10-13 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are golden brown.


This is what mixing the ingredients in step 2 of the recipe should look like.

 Before starting the recipe to make things a little easier, I sifted 1 cup of all purpose flour, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda into a bowl. This is step 3 of the recipe.




After mixing the batter should look like this. It will be creamy, but still thick.

 After adding the sifted ingredients to the mixture and blending well, the batter should look like this. This is step 4 of the recipe.

Now comes the good part. Stir in semisweet chocolate chips in the mixture. This is step 5 of the recipe.

After forming 24 cookie dough balls place one above and below an oreo and make sure the dough covers the oreo all around. This is step 6 of the recipe.

Place 12 cookie dough balls stuffed with oreo's on baking sheet with parchment paper underneath. They should be 2 inches a part. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. These are steps 7 and 8 of the recipe.





This is the finished product!!! Enjoy and if you have any questions feel free to comment below or you can email me at savorthebaking@hotmail.com.

Savor the Baking,
Chineka






Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Cookbooks:The Heartbeat of the Kitchen




Cookbooks and the recipes they carry are the heartbeat of the kitchen. Without them many of us wouldn't know how much to measure or how long to bake a sweet treat. My favorite cookbook is one that is tried and true and has been around for many generations in my family and I'm sure in a few of your kitchens. It' is the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. They even have an app for the iPhone. I will make a blog post on that later in the week.




There are so many things that I love about this cookbook from the clear instructions to one very important part that many cookbooks of today don't have, a conversion chart and an emergency substitution reference. These very important details are located on the back flap of the book.



I also like how the different sections have tabs. Some of the sections include cakes, pies, and appetizers.


You can even add your own recipes to  the cookbook by simply hole punching and inserting them.

Let me know what your favorite cookbooks are in the comments below. I can be reached at savorthebaking@hotmail.com

Savor the Baking,
Chineka


Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Georgetown Cupcake:Red Velvet

My husband and I ordered red velvet cupcakes from Georgetown cupcake and they arrived today. Everything about this cupcake is perfect from the little heart on top to the cream cheese frosting with the right amount of cream cheese and sugar. The red velvet cupcake was the perfect red and it had the right amount of cocoa powder in it. Here are some pictures of this bakers masterpiece. To order from Georgetown Cupcake go to http://www.georgetowncupcake.com/order/default.aspx Enjoy!!!


 Here is what the box that the cupcakes came in looks like. It's the same design that's on the van Georgetown Cupcake uses for delivery.


This is how the cupcakes were packaged. I removed the cold pack that was included to be able to take the picture.

 Here is one more image for you to take in. Just beautiful isn't it!!!!


Savor the Baking,
Chineka

 
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