“The entire Earth would be in bake mode.” William Bottke

I'm thankful for baking.

Some (okay, most) of my favorite things to eat are baked items.

I can get pretty excited to eat them.  Why, I just recently baked Robbins Cookies (YUM!) and Pizza crust.  Today, I'm made my first ever Apple Pie and it ended up upside-down, but it will fantastic!

 This is what it's supposed to look like.  Don't judge me.  At least I still get yummy pie.

(Click on picture to take you to recipe.  NOTE:  I'm not using pecans, cuz hubby and I think they are yucky.)

 Baking is sort of relaxing for me.  Sometimes, however, I get really crazy ideas and go nuts and bake the Cake To Rule Them All for my husband's birthday and I'm not so relaxed.

You'd think that after that I'd be done, but enough time has past that I've digressed back to the blissfully naive thing I was before baking this cake and plan to do it again for MY birthday.  Only I'm going to try it with hazelnut butter instead of peanut butter.  Who's with me?!  Anybody?  Hello.......?

I'm pretty sure my cute husband likes when I bake too.  We could probably do without the repercussions it takes on our weight and body image, but that's okay because it's still YUMMY!  Sound logic, huh?

Now that it's the Holiday Season, I'm hoping to get quite a bit baking done.  Which probably means I'll need to get a lot of exercising done as well.  So every time I eat a piece of a pie, I'll be standing while I do it.  I try to lead a balanced life.

What is your favorite thing(s) to bake?

I love making Lebkuchen (or "affectionately" known by cute husband as La-poofy) with my mom at Christmas time.  YUM!

Food Nanny Fired Up Mac & Cheese

Now that Summer has arrived, I'm up to my elbows in family reunions.  It means quite a bit of baking and cooking for said occasions.  Since there are always going to be youngsters around that probably won't dig the coleslaw (not that I blame them) or five-bean salad, I decided to take it upon myself to come to the aid of those with a picky palette.  I've never gotten a complaint about this baked macaroni and cheese, only comments on how great it was.  In fact, my 5 year old nephew was asking me for the recipe.  This recipe will kick your boxed Mac and Cheese's trash.  For Realz.  You may think time is an issue, but the whole putting it together part (as long as all the ingredients have been previously measured) takes a little less than 20 minutes.

Here's what you need to put together this yummy dish:

• 2 cups Elbow Macaroni
• 4 tbsp Butter
• 1/4 cup Flour
• 2 cups Milk
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 1/8 tsp Tabasco/Hot Sauce
• 2 cups Cheddar Cheese

(Note:  The Cayenne and Tabasco Sauce add a little kick of flavor, but the amounts shown are the smallest amounts and don't make it too spicy.  For a more spicy flavor use 1/2 tsp. Cayenne and 1/4 tsp of Tabasco.  You can always up the amounts for more heat.  I'm a pansy and like my stuff mild.) 

For the Topping:

• 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
• 3 slices of Bread
• 1/4 cup Butter

(Another Note:  The recipe says 2 or 3 slices of bread.  I like to push the limits so I go with 3 since I use the 9x13.)

Start off by cooking the noodles as directed.

Keep an eye on it and stir it every so often so it doesn't stick to the pot.

While that's doing it's thang, melt the butter:

Once it's fully melted, sprinkle in the flour:

Mix it well so there are no clumps.

Once it starts to bubble, add Milk and stir until thick.

Then add the Salt, Cayenne, Worcestershire, and Tabasco.

Stir together until well mixed.

Take off of heat and add the cheeses.

Put over low heat and mix until well blended and the cheese is fully melted.

At this point if your noodles aren't already finished, they should be now and you should have drained them.

Then add to the cheesy mixture.

Mix it all together and then put in a baking pan in the size of your choice.  The recipe says 8x8, but I like more servings so I go with a 9x13.

Now for the yummy crumb topping.  You can forgo this, but Ty and I discovered that we like it better with the topping.  It just adds a nice texture to the dish.

Using a food processor, turn your slices of bread into a thousand itty-bitty pieces.  We like to call them crumbs.  (Looking at the picture it almost looks like the crumbs aren't in the container, but I swear on the limited amount of A/C I get in my apartment, it is.)

Next, put the butter into a medium-sized bowl:

Stick it in the microwave and let it melt.

Toss in the bread crumbs.

And mix together.  The picture doesn't do it justice, but if you're using a spoon, you'll notice a difference in the weight of the crumbs.

Now add the cheese.

Again with the mixing.

Are you excited yet?!

Oh you should be!  Now bring your Mac & Cheese and Bread Crumb topping together.

I was thinking a little more like this.

Sprinkle the top evenly.

Place it in the oven at 350°F for 30-35 minutes.

I don't have a picture of the finished product since I'll be baking it later on during the reunion.  That's sorta the beauty of this concoction.  Doesn't take long to make and you can save it for later when you want to bake it.  It even tastes good reheated.  Trust me.  I know.  If I ever need to make a meal where there are picky eaters, I'll be making this.

Seriously though, if you want to be a big hit at the reunion, bring this guy.  It has not failed me yet. 

Ty's Birthday Cake - Chocolate Peanut Butter

A few months ago, Ty was using my StumbleUpon account and came across this site.  He showed it to me and my mouth immediately begin to salivate.  Then, being the fool I was, told him I would make it for his birthday if he wanted.  Oh, he wanted.

The closer to his birthday, the more concerned I'd become.  This was no ordinary, from-the-box, throw-it-together kind of cake.  I'd have to put in some serious man power and I was beginning to doubt that I'd be able to pull something like this off.

Because I love my husband....because it was his birthday....and because I don't go back on promises....
I gathered up my courage and went to work.

First thing I did was measure out all the ingredients for the cake.  I've done it before where I measure as I go along.  Doing it beforehand really takes out a lot of the hassle.

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch process
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup neutral vegetable oil, such as canola, soybean or vegetable blend
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs

Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl.  This will not be fun.  This will not be easy.  And your arm will be begging for mercy half-way through the flour.

Then whisk until evenly mixed together.

Now add the oil and sour cream.  Whisk to blend.  I received an AWESOME Hamilton Beach hand mixer that came with a wire whisk attachment.  It's now the love my baking life.

 

Beat in the water and wonder how it will become batter when it looks so....well, watery.

Next add the vinegar and vanilla.

Whisk in the eggs.  (I swear there are two.  The other drowned before I could take a picture.)

Now, you're ready to put the batter into the cake pans.  The recipe calls for 3 8" round pans, but I only have 2 9" rounds.  I did end up making three layers, I just had to wait for the other cakes to finish cooling before I could bake another.

Butter the pan's side and bottom.

Then place parchment paper at the bottom.

I measured out the batter and came up with 7 cups exactly.  In order to divide it up into three cakes, each pan will hold 2 1/3 cup of batter.

Bake in oven preheated to 350°F for 30 - 35 minutes, or until cake tester/toothpick comes out clean.  (*I did mine for 30.)

The recipe says to cool in pans for 20 minutes, but the site where I got the recipe from said that because the cakes are so moist she put them in the freezer for 30 minutes, so I did that.  If I ever reclaim enough mental strength to do this again, I'll let them cool for 20 minutes in the pan, and then put them in the freezer for another 30 minutes.  Maybe that's what she meant, but I have to learn the hard way.
 Either way, they'll come out looking luscious and quite evil.  It's like devilish chocolate eyes staring at you saying....."EAT ME!!!  SUCCUMB TO THE DARK SIDE!"

Next for the Peanut Butter frosting:
 10 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted  **(I totally forgot to sift!  Oh well.)**
2/3 cup smooth peanut butter, preferably a commercial brand (because oil doesn’t separate out)  *****(I just used Safeway's Reduced Fat Creamy Peanut Butter, and it worked just fine.)*****

 
In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter until fluffy like little yummy clouds.

Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, otherwise you'll end up wearing most of it and you'll have to go through the trouble of having to measure all over again........not that that's ever happened to me.  Scout's honor.  If only I had been a scout.

Now the whole reason we're here:  the Peanut Butter.

You didn't forget about the cakes did you?

Place the first cake on a cake platter or your serving tray.

And be careful.  I had a hard time keeping mine from falling apart on me.

Take 2/3 cup of frosting and spread it on top of the cake.

Add next layer of cake, again being careful, and repeat with frosting.

Finally, add the last layer of cake and then smother the whole thing in the rest of the frosting. I ended up with about an extra cup of frosting left and I'm already thinking of ways to put it to good use.

Technically, I was supposed to let the cake (after frosting) chill for 15 to 20 minutes, but I was on a time crunch and it turned out fine anyway.

It's time to put together the last piece of the puzzle.  Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache:

8 ounces seimsweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup half-and-half

In a double boiler, melt the chocolate with the Peanut Butter and corn syrup.

Once it's finished, put it in a small bowl (I just used a glass measuring cup) and pour in the half & half.

Whisk and enjoy the beauty of liquid chocolate/peanut butter.

Now for the final touch to complete the madness.

Pour the ganache on top of the cake.  It will sort of dribble down the cake (this is where having had it cooled in the fridge would have come in handy), but to help it along use an offset spatula to spread it around.

The final masterpiece.

I seriously cannot believe I did this.

From start to finish, it took about 3 1/2 hours.

Using my calorie counting site, thedailyplate.com, 1/16th is 747 Calories.

Couldn't you just die?!  You might if you eat the whole thing.

I'd say it was well worth it.

Happy Birthday Husband!!!  I love you so very much.  You mean so much to me.  So much that I spent 3 1/2 hours making the best birthday cake ever for you.

Now I'm going to take a nap.

(*Note:  I cannot be blame for any bad photography.  I'm not a professional, nor do I have the equipment.  So there.  Have a nice day.*)