SUZIE SWEET TOOTH

Cakes, Treats, and Everything Sweet

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    • Orange Pineapple Scones

      I don’t know who is more of a sucker for a tourist trap. Me or my husband. We were driving down to Southern California recently and we just had to stop at Casa de Fruita. If you are driving down to LA from San Francisco, you will pass by it.  You can’t miss it if  you tried. We actually have passed by here a million times on our way to Los Angeles before but never stopped.

      I swear, there is something about getting older and the direct correlation of being sucked into a tourist trap. Am I right? This time, “The Husband” just had to stop. Joking aside, it’s actually quite an impressive place. They have just about every dried fruit known to man. It’s kind of a dizzy experience. It’s hot, you’re thirsty, and they have cold drinks,  and oh yeah; TONS OF FRUIT. They know just what the heck they are doing. The multiple signs beckoning  you each 1/4 of a mile.

      Classic marketing ploy, but effective. You try to think of a reason NOT TO STOP. 

      You are in the parking lot faster than you can say alien abduction. 

      Dried kiwi, check. Dried apricot, check. Dried figs, check. Dried pineapple, oh yeah…check. Before you know it, you have spent a quick 20 bucks.

      I keep dried pineapple in our house so when the urge strikes me; I can whip up these scones. They are my go to scone recipe when I’m in the mood for scones. I actually have to hide the dried pineapple from my husband because he will polish it off before I even realize I am out of it. Casa de Fruita had dried pineapple already in small cube  form, so I could not pass it up. I bought a big bag of it. One less step of chopping to do when making scones. I’m sucked in immediately.

      Oh yeah, I hid it in the cupboard the minute we got home….

      Orange Pineapple Scones

      2 C all-purpose flour

      1/4 C sugar

      1 tsp. baking powder

      1 tsp. baking soda

      pinch salt

      1 stick unsalted butter; cubed

      1 large orange; zested * (or  1  1/2 Tbsp. zest)

      1/2 C chopped dried pineapple

      1/4 C chopped candied orange peel * (if you can’t find candied orange peel; simply double the orange zest to 2 oranges) or you could add in chopped dried apricots also in place of the orange peel.

      1 heaping Cup;  vanilla lowfat yogurt (you can substitute buttermilk if you don’t have yogurt)

      1 Lg. egg

      1 tsp. orange extract

      1-2 Tbsp. cream or half-n-half for brushing top of scones.

      In a medium bowl; whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

      Cut up the butter in small cubes and add it to the flour mixture and blend by hand with a pastry blender; mix in the butter until all of the butter is mixed in but resembles the size of small peas.  Add in the dried fruit and with a spoon; mix to combine.

      In a separate bowl; whisk the yogurt, egg, orange extract and orange zest.

      Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add in the wet ingredients; mix gently to combine but don’t over mix.

      Turn out the dough onto a floured board and pat the dough into a square that is 3/4 – 1 inch thick. Cut into 8 equal portions. Brush the top of the scones with half-n-half or cream.

      Bake at 350º for about 20 minutes or until light golden brown.

      Happy Baking!

      Suzie

      Printable Recipe:

      https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dq_Sndb2B45Zx64iRIPyIB45AEDk1BQ19xeWpim35Wo/edit?hl=en_US

    • Lime Meltaways

      Sunshine, Oscar the Dog, and Lime Meltaways….

      The day started out good. I could tell it was going to be a  great Sunday.  The Husband woke me up with fresh, hot coffee, which is pretty much priority number one on any given day. We recently got a new dog, “Oscar”.  Oscar has learned that when Mommy starts shuffling about with her coffee in hand, it’s time to wake up and start the day. I parted the curtains on this fine day.

      The sun was shining.

      Wait…..the sun is shining???

      In my neighborhood no less??? [aka “The fog belt”]

      In July?

      In San Francisco?  Hot Damn!

      Start up the car, put the top down on the convertible! Quick!! before the fog decides to move back in!!

      Oh yeah, I guess I have to get out of my flannel pajamas first.

      Why  yes, almost the whole month of July I do wear flannel pajamas as a matter of fact.

      I live in the FOG BELT. Cold, white, shrouded in fog.

      There are days when the fog horn wakes me up before my alarm clock. Seriously, no joke. You’d be amazed at how excited one can get over some sunshine. When the suns shines in “The City” you have to seize the moment. We decided to drive  to the Mission district in the convertible to celebrate this rare  Feliz del Sol.

      Produce markets abound in the Mission with so many fresh, ripe fruits. The fruit is always cheap, and always ripe. On any given day in the Mission you can almost guarantee finding “Ten limes for a dollar”. I simply can’t pass up 10 limes for a dollar.  My mind wanders… I think, a 6 pack of Coronas? or… Lime Meltaways.

      For the record, the Husband votes for Corona’s. A 12 pack. With 10 limes? We can do both I say…

      Oscar doesn’t really care what the occasion is….he’s chill- axin, but high alert. He’s catching the wind in his face, and his cute little ears are flappin in the wind with each little bouncy step. I love this dog. I love my city;  truth be told, FOG AND ALL.  Life is good.

      Lime Meltaways

      1  1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp

      4.5 oz confectioners sugar  (+ more for tossing)

      zest of 3 limes

      2 Tbsp. lime juice (I use key lime juice but regular will do)

      1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

      2 C all-purpose flour

      1/4 C corn starch

      1/2 tsp. kosher salt

       

      In the bowl of a stand mixer on medium high speed, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy; about 2 minutes. Add the lime zest, lime juice and vanilla until combined.  In a separate bowl; mix the flour, cornstarch and salt in a separate bowl; whisk to combine. The cornstarch in the recipe gives the cookie a more delicate crumb, so don’t think it’s strange. Also, there is no baking soda or baking powder because you don’t want the cookie to spread. Go with it. Add the flour mixture about a cup at and mix on medium until it is incorporated. There will be crumbs at the bottom of the bowl that do not mix. Take out the cookie dough and gently knead in the rest of the crumbs into the dough so it forms one cohesive mass.

      Shape the dough into an 11 inch log using either plastic wrap, parchment paper or wax paper; whatever you have on hand.

      Chill the log of dough overnight.

      Cut into 1/2 inch slices. If you like a thinner cookie, you can cut them into 1/4 inch slice.  I like them a little on the thicker side. Place the cookies 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake for ~ 12-15 minutes at 350 º until the cookies are just  slightly golden on the edges. Do not overbake. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let cool slightly. While the cookies are still warm, toss them in confectioners sugar. Let cool. Toss them again in more sugar.

      Printable Recipe:

      https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qCptK9UA5mdZqmf9hse17ZKMJaHUC-vFDmgSEi2pqMQ/edit?hl=en_US

      Happy Baking!

      Suzie

    • Raspberry Tart with Passion Fruit Cream

      A Tale of Two Tarts…

       

       

      I love, love, love Raspberry season! One of my favorite summer desserts is a simple raspberry tart.  You can be creative and make all kinds of fillings. Standard pastry cream, mascarpone cream,  50/50 mixture of pastry cream and lemon curd, or one of my favorites white chocolate pastry cream.

      This time I decided to do something different and pair raspberries with a passion fruit cream. I had some passion fruit puree in the freezer and have been holding onto it waiting for a good reason to use some of it. Initially I made the passion fruit cream based off of a recipe I found online from pastry chef  Eddy Van Damme. Check out his website; he has some amazing recipes:  www.chefeddy.com The recipe was straight forward and pretty simple; but I thought the flavor was a little too strong for my taste, so I ended up making a standard pastry cream with vanilla bean and mixed the two together almost 50/50 and it was amazing! paired with the raspberries I thought it was a nice combination. The only problem was I now had a lot of pastry cream so I went ahead and  made two tarts. Yes, several egg yolks later… I had beau coup pastry cream. But this is what makes baking fun…a chance to try new recipes and experiment.  For the less adventurous I will include the standard pastry cream recipe below which is wonderful on its own.  The shortbread tart crust is really easy as well and you don’t have to roll it out, you simply press it into the tart pan. It’s pretty much a cookie type crust.

       

      4/21/19 Update- I’ve changed my recipe below for the passion fruit pastry cream now using 1/2 cup of purée and therefore changed the heavy cream to 1 1/4 cups. I’m loving the new change. I used almost all the cream in the tart base- you’ll still have a little bit leftover.

      Raspberry Tart with Passion Fruit Cream

      Shortbread tart Crust: (yield one 9 inch tart)

      1  1/2 sticks unsalted butter

      1/3 C  confectioners sugar

      1  1/2 C all purpose flour

      1/4 tsp. salt

      1 tsp. vanilla bean paste

      (soft butter for brushing tart pan)

      In the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed; cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Add in the vanilla bean paste and combine briefly until smooth. In a small bowl whisk the flour and salt to combine. Add the flour mixture on medium low speed until the mixture is almost combined; there will be some bits at the bottom of the bowl. Stop the mixer and with your hands lightly  mix the dough together to incorporate any little bits until it is combined.

      Prepare the tart pan by brushing with soft butter and flouring the pan; tap out any loose flour. This step is key if you want to actually remove the tart crust from the bottom part of the pan; such as if you are giving it for a gift or putting it in a box to take to a party. The flour will ensure you can slip a thin spatula in between the crust and the bottom portion of the removable tart pan. Hey, if you are having your own party and you don’t plan to transport that sucker,  then skip this step. There is enough butter in the tart crust that you will still be able to remove the ring without buttering or flouring the pan.

      Press the dough into the tart pan until it looks fairly even. Chill the crust for at least 30 minutes before you bake it. I chill mine an hour so it helps prevent the crust from shrinking when baked. Once the crust has chilled, dock the bottom of the crust all over with the tines of a fork; being careful not to go all the way through. This will prevent the crust from puffing when baked. Set the tart pan on a cookie sheet and Bake at 350 º  for about 15-20 minutes or until the crust looks pale with just a little bit of light gold color around the edges. Remove the crust from the oven and brush the tart shell lightly with a beaten egg white. This will prevent the crust from getting soggy. Let the tart crust cool completely on a wire rack.

      Pastry Cream: (yield for one 9-10 inch tart)

      1  1/4 C whole milk

      1 tsp. vanilla bean paste

      3 egg yolks

      1/4 C sugar

      2 Tbsp.  flour

      2 Tbsp. corn starch

      1 Tbsp. soft butter

      In a medium bowl place the egg yolks and whisk in the sugar until smooth. In a small bowl combine the flour and corn starch; stir to combine. Add this to your egg yolk/sugar mixture and whisk vigorously until the mixture is smooth. In a sauce pan bring together the milk and vanilla bean paste to a boil. Kill the heat.  Remove the milk from the heat and slowly temper in about half of the milk a little at a time to your egg yolk mixture; whisking continuously to ensure the yolks don’t burn. Return the mixture to the rest of the milk in the pan, and on low-medium heat,  whisk the mixture vigorously until the cream thickens; keep whisking and cook it for about one minute. Kill the heat and transfer it to a bowl. Whisk in the soft butter.  If you think you may have any lumps you can pass it through a sieve. Skipping this step would make many a pastry chef cringe, but I’m a whisking maniac and am pretty fast so I skip this step. Cover the surface with plastic wrap and chill until cold.

      Variation: White Chocolate Pastry Cream; add 4 oz. melted (and cooled) white chocolate after transferring to bowl; whisk to combine.

      Passion Fruit Cream (yield enough for  two 9 inch tarts)

      recipe from Chef Eddy Van Damme [half the recipe and mix with standard pastry cream for a 50/50 mix if you want to do like I did].

      1 1/4 Cup Heavy cream

      1/2 C passion fruit puree (I like Goya frozen brand) that I thaw out

      1/4 C + 1 Tbsp. extra fine sugar

      5 egg yolks

      1/4 C extra fine sugar

      4 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. corn starch

      1/2 C milk, (brought to a boil)

      1) In a saucepan bring the first 3 ingredients to a boil: heavy cream, passion fruit and sugar to a boil.

      2) In a separate bowl whisk the egg yolks until smooth. Add the 1/4 C sugar and whisk rapidly until smooth, add the  cornstarch and whisk smooth. Whisk in  the boiling milk.

      3) Pour the egg yolk mixture into the boiling cream mixture and whisk rapidly to a boil Boil for 1 minute and remove from the heat. Cover the surface of the pastry cream with plastic wrap directly and chill until cold.

      Fresh Raspberries for Tart: washed & dried

      Raspberry Glaze:

      1/4 C seedless raspberry jam

      2-3 tsp. water

      Heat the jam and water over low heat until mixture is thin.

      Tart assembly:

      Fill the tart shell with your pastry cream of choice. Smooth the filling with an off set spatula. Place the raspberries on the cream, covering the entire surface of the tart. Brush the warm glaze over the raspberries and chill the tart until ready to serve. Serve cold.

      Happy Baking!

      Suzie

       

    • Baking Tip: “How To Make A Parchment Sling”

      People always ask me how I get perfect looking cuts on brownies or anything where you have to cut the cookie or baked good that you made in a pan. The secret is the “sling”. You can sling almost anything that goes into a square, or oblong pan. This goes for brownies, fudge, banana bread, key lime bars, marshmallows etc. Sometimes I do a single sling; like the picture above, or a double sling if the contents are very sticky. If in doubt; double sling; which means to have a sling going both directions. Keep the sling long enough so that the overhang has about at least 2 inches so you have ample area for grabbing when it comes time to lift it out of the pan. If the item you are bakng is very heavy; such a a heavy brownie batter, you can also sling with heavy weight tinfoil or double tinfoil. You may have to spray the parchment paper or tinfoil; it will depend on the recipe. Basically if the recipe calls for you to spray the pan, then that means you better spray the paper/tinfoil. If it is something where there is a lot of butter in the crust, for example, a shortbread recipe; then you can get away without spraying your sling. Just follow the recipe guideline.

      I’m sling addicted.

      [well, I have this box that I bought 4 years ago from Smart and Final of about 1,000 sheets of paper so that might explain it a little :-) but don’t fear, it is very reasonably priced. Maybe share with a friend].

      I rarely bake anything that calls for a square or oblong pan without putting in a sling first. The sling helps the whole mass come out in one piece where you can simply lift it out of the pan, peel away the paper, set it on your cutting board, and cut your perfect little slices or bars. Perfect square brownies with no weird edges. ;-)

      I know…the whole sling thing sounds rather OCD, but it also helps in the dreaded cleanup and wear and tear on your pans.

      I  buy parchment paper in bulk from Smart and Final and it comes in a large flat box. The sheets are the size of a whole sheet pan, so if you make the commitment to buy a box, you  have to keep it somewhere where the box can lay flat; which leaves me with my next disclaimer:

      Keep the box out of the hands of your Mother in Law who will be way too tempted to move that sucker!

      I’m just sayin’…. :-)

      I learned a long time ago that parchment paper is key to any good baking, so go get your sling on!

      Happy Baking!

      Suzie

    • Independence Day Sugar Cookies

      Happy Independence Day!  2011

      Sugar Cookies with edible rice paper and edible glitter

      My newest obsession is edible rice paper sheets. They are so much fun and totally edible. I love the retro prints. Is there anything more Americana than a good sugar cookie? You can find the edible rice paper sheets at www.fancyflours.com Sugar cookies are a fun thing for your kids to help you with. My son loves to help me decorate these whenever I make them. He likes to sprinkle on the glitter. The glitter can be found at www.thesugarart.com I like to use the white rainbow or pearl.

      Sugar Cookies

      3 Cups all purpose flour

      1 tsp. baking powder

      1/2 tsp. kosher salt

      1 Cup + 2 Tbsp. sugar

      2 sticks cold butter

      1 large egg

      1  1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

      1/2 tsp. almond extract

      Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the extracts; mix. Add in the egg and mix. Add the flour mixture a little at a time and mix until just combined; scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is combined well. Try not to overmix the dough. There will be crumbs; take out the dough and knead softly with your hands. Roll out on a floured surface to 1/4 inch thick. Cut into desired shapes. Place on a Silpat sheet or parchment paper lined cookie sheet and Bake at 350 °  for 12-15 minutes until the edges just barely start to turn light brown. Let cookies cool on sheets placed on a wire rack for 10 mins. Move the cookies to wire rack to cool completely before icing. These cookies shown are 3.5 x 5 inches and this recipes makes 11 cookies. You can also find the cutter for these large cookies at fancy flours. They call the size of the cutter “postcard” size.

      Frost cookies with thin consistency Royal Icing. See recipe below.

      Royal Icing:

      4 Tbsp. meringue powder

      1/2 C cold water

      1 lb. powdered sugar

      1/2 tsp. clear vanilla

      Combine the meringue powder and H2O until foamy. Add the sugar a cup at a time [if the sugar is lumpy; make sure to sift it first] and beat on low until combined. Once all the sugar is combined, turn up the mixer to high and beat for about 5 mins. until the meringue forms stiff peaks. Add cold water one tsp. at a time until the mixture is thinned to consistency of heavy cream. Ice the cookies and let the icing dry until the icing is totally dry. This may take overnight; especially if it is foggy as it is here in San Francisco!! In my neighborhood this means pretty much every day…

      Once the icing is totally dry; cut out the rice paper sheets and turn over the sheets and brush carefully with light corn syrup. Place the rice paper sheet on the cookie and run your finger over the sheet so it adheres flat. Turn over the cookie and let sit for about 30 minutes. You can pipe a decorative border along the cookies with medium stiff royal icing or decorate the edges with sanding sugar; or leave plain. Sprinkle the edible glitter over the cookies.

      Happy Baking!

      Suzie

       

    • Chocolate Cupcakes With Vanilla Filling

      “Love Honor and Cherish”

      Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Buttercream filling and Chocolate Ganache Icing

      Finding something new or experiencing something new can be very exciting. I think it’s what helps keep our brain tuned. Is there anything better than experiencing new love?

      Love is hopeful. Love is special. Love is energizing. Love is knowing you are a bit more complete. Love can come from any source.

      Love is baking~ at least for me :-)  It’s how I express love and also it helps turn an ordinary week into something fun.

      This week we had an informal wedding shower for one of the gals at work. I wanted to make something that was a bit retro and fun, so I made chocolate cupcakes with vanilla bean buttercream filling. The script on the cakes symbolizes new love and also reminds us “old married folk” that we should always love, honor and cherish our partner.

      Chocolate Cake (the recipe is on the can of Hershey’s Cocoa) Hershey’s “perfectly chocolate cake”)

      {I’m too lazy to post it here today-hey it’s a Saturday…} this recipe is tried and true for those timid bakers out there. It is reliable and always on the back of the cocoa canister. :-) I like to substitute hot strong coffee in place of the boiling water though; it adds another depth of flavor. You can stick with the classic recipe on the can though and it will be great.

      Fill the cupcake liners about  2/3- 3/4 full. Bake at 350 º for about 20 minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pan on a wire rack. Makes about 20 cakes.

      Vanilla bean swiss buttercream

      2 large egg whites

      1/2 C sugar

      1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter

      1 1/2 tsp. vanilla bean paste

      In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the eggs whites and sugar and place over a pot with simmering water. Whisk the egg whites and sugar and heat until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is about 160 degree. Turn off the heat. Attach the mixer bowl onto the mixer with the whisk attachment and whisk the mixture on medium until the bottom of the bowl is almost cool to the touch and the mixture has turned into a nice stiff meringue.  This will take several minutes. With the mixer on medium high, add the softened butter one tablespoon at a time and continue to mix until all the butter is incorporated and the mixture is smooth. It will go through a curdled looking stage as it mixes; but don’t worry keep adding the butter and it will come together. Add in the vanilla bean paste and mix to combine.

      “Cakeage Assemblage”

      Once the cupcakes are cool, take an apple corer and remove a piece of the cake to creat the hole for the buttercream filling. Pipe in the buttercream filling. Pipe all the cakes at once so you have them all ready for dipping. Level off the buttercream so the mound is flat and  level with the top of the cupcake and remove any crumbs that you find on the top of the cake; this will ensure a smoother finish once you dip the cakes.

      Prepare the Chocolate ganache.

      Dip the cupcakes into the ganache icing and let them set up at room temperature before piping on the script.

      Pipe your script with a number 3 round piping tip onto the cupcakes. Store the cakes in an airtight container at room temperature.

      Chocolate ganache icing

      1 C semisweet chocolate chips

      1/2 C heavy cream

      1 Tbsp. corn syrup

      In a small bowl place the chocolate. Heat the heavy cream and corn syrup until just boiling. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let the mixture sit for 2 minutes. Whisk the mixture slowly until smooth; try not to incorporate too much air as to prevent bubbles. Tap the bowl on the counter several times to release any air bubbles to the top. Poke the bubbles with a tooth pick or bamboo skewer. Let the ganache mixture sit for about 7 minutes before dipping the cakes.

      Royal Icing  for script writing

      2 Tablespoons meringue powder

      1/4 C water

      8 oz. (1/2 lb.) Confectioners sugar

      1/2 tsp. clear vanilla (optional)

      Whisk the meringue powder and water until mixture is foamy. Sift in the sugar in small amounts and whisk on low until you have a nice glossy meringue. Increase to medium high and whisk until stiff peaks. This will take about 5 minutes. Place the icing into a bowl and add a tsp. of water at a time; stir until the mixture is has medium stiff peaks. Place the icing in a piping bag fitted with a No. 3 round tip and pipe the script onto the cakes. Keep the end of the piping bag/tip wrapped with a damp paper towel while you are working to avoid the tip drying out and thus preventing the icing from drying in the tip. Keep the icing covered also while you are working so the icing does not dry out and crust over.

      Happy Baking,

      Suzie

      printable recipe:

      https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1OOym9I4vG6O6dmGJ8lnQp7INvm_cipzd7d0zdq5K7JA