amarelism

Chocolate and pepermint Holiday Cupcakes

December 23, 2016December 23, 2016 by amarelism

Christmas is almost here!! If the holiday season has been for you anything like it’s been for me there is a great relief in knowing there are only three more days until its all over! Don’t get me wrong I love the holidays, my family has so many great traditions I always look forward to. But this year has been a busy one for me, so what better remedy then a decadent chocolate cupcake as a midday snack? (or a late night snack, or breakfast with a cup of coffee or a second one right after lunch because treat yourself, amiright?)

Here’s what you’ll need for this bake:

For the Chocolate Cake:

1.5 cups all-purpose flour
1.5 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cups cocoa powder
1/2 tablespoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoons salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cups buttermilk
3/4 cups warm water (I just heated mine in the microwave)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
For the buttercream frosting:

4 cups of powdered sugar
1 Cup of room temp. butter
2-3 teaspoons of vanilla
1-2 tablespoons of milk
For the topping:

4 candy canes

Directions:

Chocolate Cake:

Preheat your oven to 325. Beat together all the dry ingredients on a low speed in a stand mixer first to make sure everything is evenly mixed. Then add wet ingredients gradually, making sure to scrape the sides of your bowl and whisk often (if you don’t have a stand mixer that’s fine it will just require a bit of muscle). The consistency will be a bit runnier then a standard cake batter because the cake comes out quite moist. Fill cupcake cups just over half way. I noticed that with this recipe the batter rose quite a lot, so keep that in mind when filling your cupcake cups. Bake these babies for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean. Always make sure your cupcakes are completely cooled before frosting. You can transfer them to a wire rack after about 10-15 minutes of cooling in the pan.

Buttercream:

Although I gave exact measurements for the buttercream what I often end up doing when I make it is to simply eyeball the ingredients until I have the consistency where I like it. Because I used a piping bag to decorate I wanted my buttercream to be firmer and hold its shape. I added the dry ingredients first and added the milk gradually. I also increased the speed so that I could make sure there were no clumps of powdered sugar.

To Decorate:

Frost your cupcakes using a piping tip as I did or a spatula. Then break up your candy canes in a plastic baggie using the back of a spoon (or just throw it against the wall a bunch of times like I did, a great way to destress from holiday madness!). Then sprinkle on the candy can piece, and there you are ! a beautiful holiday treat!

The chocolate cake is decedent and moist and with just a sprinkle of candy cane crumbles the peppermint taste is subtle enough to get you into the holiday spirit.

Enjoy this recipe, and if you give it a try be sure to hashtag #TheInexperiencedBaker, so I can see your masterpiece!

DIY Cupcake stand

December 11, 2016December 11, 2016 by amarelism

Here in Illinois there’s massive amounts of snow coming down! So what better day then to hunker down at home and do a DIY.

This cupcake stand is easy, cheap and so beautiful, I bought my supplies at goodwill and got all the plates and candleholders for 99 cents each.

Make your own and tag #TheInexperiencedBaker so I can see your beautiful creation too!

(And check out the recipe for these awesome lemon cupcakes with fresh raspberry icing, coming soon!)

November Book Review Quicky: The Southern Cookie Book

December 4, 2016 by amarelism

November was a whirlwind for me as my fall semester comes to a close. I had chosen a book to review this month and made three bakes from it, however, I don’t think it was really enough to do this book justice. So this one will be a quicky…

Whenever I hear about southern anything I always think of decadent and indulgent and this book is nothing short of that. It’s packed with great recipes, which is why I hope to continue to make more from this book and share in the future. Despite it being a cookie book there’s a little bit of everything in here including bars, brittles, and even candies. It’s a beautiful book with great photography and the layout of the directions for each bake is ver clear. Each recipe also contains a little blurb at the end with a fact or a flavor swap that make the possibilities for these bakes virtually endless.

Here are the three I chose and a quick overview of my experience…

Slice-And-Bake Shortbread Cookies:

This recipe is super simple and reminded me of the Pillsbury roll cookies with designs in the center that my grandma would buy from the store and make with us on holidays. It’s very kid friendly and you can totally customize the flavors or even roll in food coloring for a fun activity. The dough can be kept frozen for up to a year and since the recipe makes two rolls you can bake some now and save the rest for later.
I substituted almond extract for butter extract since I’m not really an almond flavor fan, but they still came out great. These cookies will melt in your mouth with just the right amount of sweet, and you can spread jam or an herbed goat cheese spread over to create a new flavor combination.
I recommend these little guys be enjoyed with a cup of hot tea and good will power because once you get started your going to want to eat the whole dozen!

Fruit Filled Cookies:

I wanted to try a variety of bakes from this book and this one caught my eye because of the flaky pastry used. Unfortunately, the very thing that drew me to this recipe was also the biggest challenge. The dough is extremely tough and will take lots of muscle to roll out to be thin enough to cut your cookie shape. Even after several minutes of rolling and rolling I still couldn’t quite get the dough as thin as I’d like, so it’s important to note that this bake will take some muscle. Although my dough came out rather thick I have to say the cookie was a fantastic flaky texture that paired wonderfully with the tart cherry filling I chose to use.
The next issue I had with this bake also came from the very tough dough. You’re supposed to “fold opposite corners to center, slightly overlapping.” Which seems easy enough, however, I couldn’t get my corners to stay together, and even after I thought they were fine and stuck them in the oven, the baking process opened them right back up. Once the dough is cooked it’s too hard to push the ends together and if you force it the cookie will break. As you can imagine it was rather frustrating, but upon looking back at the book it did seem like from the picture of the cookies that possibly the creator had pinched the two ends together (although I still think this recipe should require a binding component because the dough is so tough.
All criticisms aside I liked these cookies, and the final product was pretty when the dough did decide to stay in place.

Brownie Cookies:

Well, I’ve saved the best for last with this one. I have to say of everything I’ve baked since starting this blog this is probably one of the most delicious recipes. In my mind, turning a brownie into a cookie and putting in roughly chopped salted pecans is a no brainer. These cookies have the crunch of a cookie on the outside and a gooey inside like a rich brownie. This recipe is a must bake in my book and I look forward to making them again.

A HALF BAKED BOOK REVIEW: October

November 3, 2016 by amarelism

Out of the Box Desserts by Hayley Parker

Before I begin my first official book review for Half Baked, I’d like to welcome any and everyone who wandered their way over to this blog! It’s been quite fun (and challenging) choosing and making these delicious recipes and hopefully reading this will give you some inspiration to try something new!

This months book, I think, is a great choice for a first book review because it’s unique angle should make it interesting for all bakers, old and new. The book’s title is an exact description of what you’ll find inside, out of the box. Not only does this book feature an array of recipes (from strawberry milkshake cupcakes to maple bacon pecan baklava) the recipes utilize store bought mixes which you already might have at home. The book is a new release at Elmhurst Public Library, and its pretty powder blue cover with a gooey chocolate cake on the cover was enough incentive for me to snatch it off the shelf.

The book begins with an introduction by the author, Hayley Parker, who’s blog The Domestic Rebel was where she first began sharing her delicious recipes. The introduction is witty and relatable, a common theme throughout Parker’s book, as she inserts little stories before each recipe allowing the reader to get to know her and her unique desserts.

Upon flipping through the book the first few times I immediately saw multiple recipes I wanted to try but attempted to keep my selection diverse.

Before I begin to explain my experience of attempting to create these scrumptious desserts I’d like to reference the saying my mother always said to me as a child, “Do as I say and not as I do” the beautiful thing about baking, that I have learned, is that it is a scientific and thoughtful process which requires practice- something I have not quite achieved yet. However, I learned something new with each bake, and hopefully you can learn from my mistakes too!

SALTED BUTTERSCOTCH COOKIES

Okay, this one was an easy one, and admittedly it would have been pretty difficult to mess this one up (although I did make my cookies a bit too small so they browned a little too much). Great for parents to do with kids, this will take that boring sugar cookie mix you have left over at home and transform it into some all new flavors.

Personally, I found these a bit too sweet for my palette, so I brought them to the PR office at the library where I work, and they were gobbled up quickly. Butterscotch pudding mix is added to sugar cookie mix which gives it a rich brown color. Sea salt is sprinkled over the dough just before it enters the oven and getting a bite of butterscotch chips with a little bit of saltiness is a nice surprise.

BEST BUTTER CAKE

Immediately upon reading the title of this recipe I knew that I would be making it. In fact, when I handed the book over to my mother to see if she had any requests, she was so adamant that I make this cake that she even offered to buy the ingredients.

The cake is spongey and melt in your mouth buttery, but it also has a sweetness almost like an angel food cake. I served a slice of it with fresh strawberries but really any topping would be great (Chocolate syrup, whipped cream, or fresh berries).

However, this was my first time ever making a cake In a bundt pan and as I learned later, I made a pretty amateur mistake. I greased my pan using a spray and lightly dusted with flour which meant that after the cake cooled I couldn’t get it out of the pan. I later found after double checking, that the book does give the instruction to use a cooking spray. So after I had a panic attack and banged on it several times with the palm of my hand, I finally turned to google. I was able to extract the cake finally by sliding a butterknife along the edges between the cake and the pan but after reading multiple articles online I realized hat I should have greased the pan with melted butter. Not only does it look like I took an enormous bite out of the top of the cake, but it also turned a dark brown color from the baking spray.

Rookie mistakes aside, this cake was delicious and I think its a wonderful and easy thing to make, to bring to a party, or prepare for a friend.

BLACK FOREST BROWNIE CHEESECAKE

Alright, this one is gonna have to be the winner for me. An amazing combination of flavors go into making this unconventional cheesecake including a crust made of brownie (yes brownie!). It’s chocolatey, it’s gooey, it’s tart, and a little dollop of cool whip on top gives it a lightness and a pretty little swirl. The ingredients for this bake were very easy to find and inexpensive. The cherries are canned ones you can pick up at any grocery store and the directions to swirl them into the cheesecake before baking making this dessert look so beautiful.

A hit in the office (my boss left with the tuber ware container I had it in and I never saw it again), at home, and amongst my friends, this dessert is a must try from this book. It has a wow factor to its appearance that will make anyone think it took you forever.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I really enjoyed not only making these recipes but also reading this book because the author is a great story teller. She uses her recipes to give us a look into her past and to get to know her and her perspective as a baker. I also think this book is a great purchase to keep in your cook book repertoire when you find yourself with left over boxed mixes.

This book is available right now at Elmhurst Public Library and I highly recommend you check it out and get in on these delicious desserts.

Welcome!

October 31, 2016November 3, 2016 by amarelism

Welcome to Half Baked!

My interest in baking has been present since I was a child, and now, as an almost fully formed adult, I still find myself fascinated with it. My Instagram feed is filled with meticulously crafted layer cakes, and on many nights I can be found binge watching The Great British Bake Off when I should be doing homework instead. Admittedly, I don’t really know very much about baking, it was a rare occasion growing up that we ever made cakes or cookies that didn’t come from a box. So I wanted to challenge myself, and find a way to learn more about baking, which is why I came up with the idea for Half Baked.

It’s here that I will challenge myself to make new things on a weekly basis, and share with you my achievements and my mistakes. A large part of this blog will include monthly book reviews, which I will read, review, and make several recipes from. The rest will be sharing my experiences with you as I explore my interest in baking, cooking, and creating in general. I hope that this blog inspires you to challenge yourself and try something new wether you are an experienced baker or not.

If you’d like to start a conversation, or share something new you’ve tried you can check out the @InexperiencedBaker Instagram where you can find pictures and even more inspiration.

Thanks for reading!

Amarelis