Chocolate Malt Ice Cream

Seriously, I don't know why I don't make homemade ice cream more often. It's so incredibly easy and always wonderful, yet I make it maybe three or four times a year. I even have two fantastic ice cream cookbooks: Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream & Dessert Book and The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz. Both of these books have yielded delicious and perfect recipes, yet they tend to lay on the shelf, collecting dust. Plus, once it's been made, ice cream can stay in the freezer for quite a while, providing yummy dessert when I'm not up to baking. And still, my ice cream maker stays packed away in a forgotten cupboard for most of the year.

Well, it's a new year, and I've decided something: no more store bought ice cream! For starters, it costs an arm, a leg, and an extra foot to get a pint of ice cream on my island. Forget about quarts...you need a loan. Also, though, I have a really great ice cream maker that's a cinch to use, and about a thousand recipes to try. I guess you could call it a New Year's resolution. In fact, yes, I think I will. I resolve to only have homemade ice cream in my home for all of 2011, and to try to make a new flavor at least once a month. There. That's done.

I'm already off to a great start, too, because I made ice cream last week. Not just ice cream...amazing ice cream. Really.

Say hello to the most delicious ice cream pretty much ever. This, friends, is light, chocolate malt ice cream with lots of chopped up malted milk balls mixed in! I've actually never been a huge fan of malted milk balls. I like them alright, but they're not my first choice. In fact, I really only choose to eat them when someone else has them and offers me a couple. But this ice cream takes all of the best things about them and turns it into a frozen treat no one could turn down. Seriously, I don't care if people say they don't like malted milk balls...if you can get them to take one little taste of this, they will convert! This stuff is smooth and creamy, just ever-so-slightly chocolaty, and chock full of crunchy candy!! And it's so much easier to make than you might think!

The cast of characters in this ice cream are egg yolks, coarsely chopped malted milk balls (like Whoppers), heavy cream, half-and-half, sugar, malted milk powder (not chocolate), vanilla extract, and cocoa powder. The original recipe that I adapted this from was a plain malt ice cream...no chocolate, but I love chocolate malt, so I decided to add a little cocoa powder to the mix. But just a little...I wanted a lighter chocolate that wouldn't overpower the malt flavor. As for the malt...

...the recipe I used called for malt powder. Unfortunately, I couldn't find malt powder on my island, so I settled on Carnation Malted Milk Powder, which is, apparently, different. From what I gathered malt powder is malt alone, while malted milk powder has additional ingredients. Honestly, if you have easy access to plain malt powder, I say go for it, but otherwise, this worked beautifully and truly imparted a fantastic malt flavor.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, malt powder, and vanilla; place a mesh strainer on top and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, heat the half-and-half, sugar, and salt over medium heat. Once hot, whisk in the cocoa powder. Remove from heat.

In another medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks. In a very slow, steady stream, whisk about half of the half-and-half mixture into the eggs. Be sure to whisk constantly to prevent the eggs from cooking. Once combined, add quickly whisk in the remaining half-and-half mixture, and pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring with a spatula constantly, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the spatula.

Pour the egg mixture through the mesh strainer into the cream mixture. Whisk until combined, then, if necessary, sit the mixture over an ice bath and stir until cooled (mine was pretty close to room temperature as soon a I was done straining it). Cover and chill overnight in the refrigerator.

Once, chilled, pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and mix according to the manufacturer's instructions. Quickly fold the malted milk balls into the ice cream as you remove it from your ice cream maker.

I can't even begin to express how delicious this stuff is. Really. It may seem like an exaggeration, but it's not, this really is phenomenal ice cream.

You probably won't wanna share this. Just saying. But you should try, because everyone will love it. This ice cream made my whole family happy. For days.

The perfect amount of chocolate and malt, and more than enough candy to make everyone smile, this ice cream is definitely a "must make!" The hubster said (several times), "This is absolutely the. best. ice cream I have ever had. Ever." And I'm inclined to agree wholeheartedly! We finished it up in no time, and I already froze the freezer bowl for our ice cream maker so I can make it again tomorrow! If all of the ice cream I make is this mouthwatering, this will be one easy resolution to keep!

Make this. ASAP. And share it...well, try to anyway! Enjoy!



Chocolate Malt Ice Cream

Makes about 1 1/2 quarts

Ingredients


2 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup malt powder
1 cup half-and-half
3/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
6 egg yolks
2 cups malted milk balls, roughly chopped


In a medium bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, malt powder, and vanilla; place a mesh strainer on top and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, heat the half-and-half, sugar, and salt over medium heat. Once hot, whisk in the cocoa powder. Remove from heat.

In another medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks. In a very slow, steady stream, whisk half of the half-and-half mixture into the eggs. Be sure to whisk constantly to prevent the eggs from cooking. Once combined, whisk in the remaining half-and-half mixture. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring with a spatula constantly, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the spatula.

Pour the egg mixture through the mesh strainer into the cream mixture. Whisk until combined, then stir over an ice bath until cooled. Cover and chill overnight in the refrigerator.

Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and mix according to the manufacturer's instructions. Fold the malted milk balls into the ice cream as you remove it from your ice cream maker.

Recipe adapted from The Perfect Scoop

Simple, Delicious Mulligatawny Soup

I love Indian food. I only recently discovered that fact. Growing up as The Picky Eater in my family, it has taken me a long time to move past my food prejudices, and anything even remotely foreign was a huge prejudice for me. About a three years ago, though, the Hubster took me to an Indian restaurant. He'd been dying to go and I felt bad that the only thing really holding him back was me.

The only thing I regret about going to that restaurant is that we didn't go sooner! I was very, very skeptical when I ordered my food, but the man taking our order assured me that I would like it (how he knew, I couldn't tell you). He was absolutely right! I loved it! To be honest with you, I can't even remember exactly what I ordered, but since then I have been exploring Indian recipes and loving every minute of it!

One of the first recipes I ever came across was for Mulligatawny soup. The first time I ever tried it, it was delicious! But the recipe was long and complicated, and it called for tons of ingredients. I really wanted something that still packed a great flavor punch, but didn't require half of the supermarket and a whole day to make. What I've come up with is a mash up of various recipes that are out there. It's a basic recipe that has all of the standard ingredients that you'll typically find in Mulligatawny. It's also easily "tweakable." If you like a milder curry flavor, add less. Want some green veggies? Add some spinach (about a cup, packed) or peas (about half cup)! Otherwise, this soup stands wonderfully on it's own.

All you need to make it is unsalted butter, carrots, celery, salt, pepper, all-purpose flour, rice, finely chopped green apple, finely chopped onion or onion powder, dried thyme, and curry (I prefer red curry, but a lot of recipes call for garam masala...I don't like it as much in this particular recipe), as well as chicken stock.

Tea Time Shortbread Cookies

I've said before how much the hubster loves shortbread, but I'm not sure if I really conveyed the depth of his devotion to these cookies. Seriously, he can come home from work in the worst mood, tired and cranky, but if there's shortbread cookies waiting for him, watch out! The mood turn around with this guy over shortbread will give you whiplash!

Fortunately for me, they're the easiest cookies in the world to make. Unfortunately for him, I still rarely make them. I think that I'm just always more interested in making something a little more exciting, like pretty cupcakes, or something with lots of chocolate and caramel. Which is why I tried to do something a little more interesting with shortbread recently. Interesting, and functional!

Okay, so you know how when you decide to have some tea and cookies, you always have to get a separate little plate for the cookies, because they really just don't fit on the edge of the saucer? Yeah. I hate that. I know it's ridiculous, but I do. I hate dirtying a plate for a couple of cookies and nothing else. Plus, what if you're also trying to snuggle in with a book? And you're maybe carrying a sweater, or a pen and paper for a little writing? How will you carry all of that and two plates of food? 

Sure, sure. You can be a little less lazy than I am, and make two trips, but let's be honest...none of us really want to do that.

Problem. Solved. I will never again have to try to precariously balance cookies on the edge of my saucer, only to fail halfway to my destination. There will be no more cookie catastrophes, no more kamikaze cookies dive bombing the floor, leaving me to clean up the tragic remains of morsels and crumbs (before the wolves, a.k.a. Loki, descend). Never again will a chocolate coated cookie melt against my teacup, unbeknownst to me, leaving behind it's remains for me to unwittingly smear on my clothes and/or face (which the hubster chooses not to tell me about because "it's funny").

Photography FYI

When I first started my blog, I was doing it for me and my friends, and for the fun of sharing good recipes with them. Before I ever even wrote my first post, I decided that I'd always put lots of photos in every post. I like seeing things that people are talking about, and seeing if I'm doing things right, so I figured other people might be the same way. It never occurred to me that people might come to like looking at my photos as much as they like trying my recipes! Recently, though, I've been getting lots of emails asking questions about my photos, camera, and other equipment. I decided the easiest way to cover it all is just to write a post about it.

For starters, it's important to point out that I haven't taken any classes or anything. I am entirely self taught, and learning more and more every day. In fact, you can see quite a change in my photography from my beginning posts to my most recent. It's all trial and error, and learning new things. But having some really cool equipment and a fun camera that I love helps too!

I don't use any crazy expensive photography tools, but they aren't necessarily cheap either. We have acquired all of this over the last couple of years, but aside from my camera, it's all affordable. And even my camera is reasonable, if you're ready to make the investment. Seeing as how that's the most important part of the equation, I'll start there.

I use a Nikon D90 DSLR. We invested in this two years ago. My husband was actually the one who wanted it because he loves taking pictures too. Once I started my blog, though, I ended up sort of taking it over! I love it. A lot. When we bought it, we got the kit (which is what I linked).

The Best of 2010 and My 2011 Kitchen Resolutions

I thought it might be fun to showcase my top posts from this year, as well as several resolutions I have. By resolutions, what I really mean is that I resolve to try the linked recipes and ideas, because they're brilliant! And maybe I'll even put my own spin on them!

Bakingdom's Top Posts of 2010

10. Back to School "Hostess" Cupcakes

In honor of this year's first day of school, I wanted to make something that reminded me of school lunches and after-school snacks. What's more memorable than finding a special treat from your mom at lunch? Something like a Hostess cupcake! Or, in this case, a vegan "fauxstess" cupcake!

9. Mexican Hot Chocolate Donuts with Toasted Marshmallow Frosting

The very first recipe I made in my brand new donut pan!

8. Sweet Maple Nut Cake



This has all of the best flavors of fluffy pancakes rolled up into a delicious cake!

7. Whimsical Eggnog Christmas Cake

This cake was inspired by the idea of turning something I don't like at all, eggnog, into something I love: eggnog cake! And a little Seuss-ical flair never hurts!

6. Inside the Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Part of my 30th birthday gift this year was a trip to the brand new Wizarding World of Harry Potter! Here, I give tips, tricks, and advice for a better Potter experience!

5. Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice...From Teacup to Cupcake: Vanilla Chai Tea Cupcakes

I love chai tea. Like, really. Like, you know how some people can't go on without their coffee or something int hem dies? Yeah. me. Only with chai. And now with chai cupcakes.

4. My New Favorite Cupcake: Watermelon!



These are soft, sweet, and scrumptious (yes, I said scrumptious). The frosting is fluffy and creamy, while the cake is moist and velvety. I am still having an affair with this cupcake (I've been cheating on chocolate, yikes!).

3. Tootsie Roll Modeling Chocolate on Steampunk Cupcakes



A fondant alternative that's easy to get and easy to use! Plus, a tutorial for making your own steampunk top hats and goggles!!

2. A Fun, Festive Halloween Chocolate Orange Layer Cake

This, my friends, is a chocolate orange layer cake. It has chocolate layers. It has orange layers. It has rich chocolate filling and orange buttercream frosting. It has dark chocolate ganache on top. And it was totally fun to make!!

1. Butterbeer?! Oh Yes, Friends! Butterbeer!!

This is, by far, my favorite treat I've ever made (and your's too, apparently!)! I was lucky enough to try the real stuff at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter this summer. Their recipe is approved by JK Rowling herself, so you know it's the right stuff! That recipe is what I have based my own recipe on, and I think it tastes just like it! (Harry Potter is very popular, huh?) ;)

Perfect New Year's Eve Party Punch and Another Crafty Giveaway

I mentioned the other day that I'm not a big drinker, but even when I do drink, I'm all about it tasting good. I can't get behind a drink that makes me cringe with every sip...I don't eat food that tastes unpleasant, why would drink beverages that do? As I said before, one of my favorite cocktails is a Cosmopolitan, but for New Year's Eve, I like to make something a lot more fun!

What could be more fun than a frozen fruit punch cocktail?! Plus, how about those cocktail picks, huh? Don't worry...I'm not stingy! You can have them too!! I've been making this punch for a lot of years, and it is always wonderful! I generally make it non-alcoholic so the whole family can enjoy it (and do they ever!), but it's easy to punch this up (pardon the pun) for adults. You can even serve it at a party for everyone, by adding a little alcohol individually for the adults as you serve it (I usually so a shot of vodka per glass).

This is awesomely dairy- and gluten-free, too, so you don't even have to worry about allergies when you serve it! I tried to do a little research into vegan gelatin for this too, but I don't really have the knowledge to pass along directions comfortably. I'd love to here from any vegan friends if there would be a suitable alternative for the strawberry gelatin!

Ring in a Sweet New Year with Cosmopolitan Cupcakes

I'm sure it'll come as no surprise to anyone to learn that I like to ring in the New Year with sweets. Really, I'm not a big drinker, so celebrating with sweet treats is how I indulge. This year though, I'm going for a double whammy and combining one of my favorite cocktails, a Cosmopolitan, with one of my favorite desserts, cupcakes! Cosmopolitan + cupcake = what else?! Cosmopolicakes!

What a way to celebrate, huh?! I was certain that I wouldn't be able to pull these off. I just didn't think I could get the flavors of a Cosmopolitan to translate to cake, but I did, and am I ever glad!! They're sweet with a zippy little punch to them, and definitely grown up! But they don't have to be, I offer substitutions for all of the alcohol so that you can make these treats kid-friendly! Another awesome thing about these? They can easily be "vegan-ized!" I've included vegan substitutes in the recipe, as well!

Now Bring Us Some Figgy Pudding: Chocolate Christmas Pudding Cupcakes

For today's post, I really wanted two things:

1. To make something that looked like an adorable mini Christmas pudding (or figgy pudding)...even if it wasn't actually Christmas pudding.

2. To make something that was fast and easy, and that could be made with everything I already had on hand.

I honestly didn't think I'd be able to. At first, I went the figgy pudding recipe route, but quickly discovered that I wasn't going to like it, and that it was going to require several things that I did not have on hand. Which led me to go for the look of Christmas pudding...but the taste of chocolate cake. Luckily, I hit a bullseye on the very first try!

I'm pretty much obsessed with these little cakes. There are similar versions all over the internet, and they're just so adorable, I knew I had to make some!

Spiced Walnuts

I'm sure it will surprise no one to learn that I like to make little homemade gifts for the holidays. For the treats and goodies that I give away, I also like to make homemade bags and boxes to put them in. I just think it's so much more personal, and a lot less expensive, than buying shiny, plastic coated bags.

One of my favorite treats to give away is a batch of sugar walnuts.

They are the perfect amount of sweet and spicy, they're fast and easy to make, and very convenient to package and gift. Plus, everyone who gets some loves them!

World Peace Bacon Waffles

Today, I submit for your consideration: waffles and bacon. Together.



Alright, so I love bacon. I really do. I can't help it...it's delicious. I haven't jumped on the Bacon Bandwagon, though. As much as I love bacon, and as much as I love the combination of sweet and salty, I'm not interested in a bacon cupcake. Or a bacon donut. Don't even bother talking to me about bacon candy or gum...the idea makes me cringe!

While I'm sure there actually are great recipes out there combining bacon with cake and other sweet treats, I'm more of a bacon purist. I like bacon for what it is on it's own. I like what it brings to a meal, but I could certainly eat an entire meal of just bacon strips. Don't judge me.

Peppermint Candy Cupcakes, Two Ways

I know I made some sweet, festive cupcakes for the holidays already, but I really wanted some fun, Christmas-y hi hats too. I've wanted peppermint hi hats for months and months, and what better time to have them than Christmas time? Unfortunately, I keep kidding myself about what's possible in 88 degree weather with roughly 90 percent humidity in the air. In the end, I did end up with some sweet little hi hats, but I also made some absolutely adorable peppermint candy cupcakes too!

Personally, I think these are so beautiful! They're simple and easy, to make and to decorate, but they are so striking and lovely! The best part is that you can use any recipe you like to make them! 

Use your own favorite vegan/dairy-free, gluten-free, or standard white or yellow (or chocolate!) cupcake recipe (or boxed mix), and just substitute half (or all, depending on how minty you want your cupcakes) of the vanilla with peppermint extract.

My Absolute Favorite Dessert. Ever. So far... Chocolate Caramel Hazelnut Tart

I recently discovered a dessert that may have replaced brownies in slot number one of my favorite desserts. It has chocolate, lots of gooey caramel, and whole, toasted hazelnuts. It is absolutely one of the best tasting desserts I've had in my life, hands down one of the loveliest to look at, and easy peasy to boot!

I'll stop now to acknowledge the abundance of caramel on my blog in recent weeks. I'd like to say that I'm sorry, but I just can't. I cannot be sorry for caramel. It's one of the most spectacular things in existence and there is no excuse for an apology. Aside from that fact, though, I also just learned how to make it, and since then I can't get enough. I've always been a caramel freak, but now that I know how flippin' simple it is to whip up, I always have some on hand. But you're not complaining, are you?

Now, back to the tart...

This tart was so completely irresistible to me that I ate half of it by myself. You heard me right. Half. And it was so wonderful that I don't even feel guilty about it! This was like a drug for me. I could feel it in the kitchen, pulling at me...calling my name. And I answered the call. I am going to have to resist making this very often, or I'll end up in a sugar coma. A deep sugar coma.

The Macaron Trials

Macarons. They scare me. A lot of people have said that they were intimidated by the idea of making macarons. Lots of bloggers have said it, in fact. And even though lots of bloggers have already said it, I'm going to say it too, because it's true. I was intimidated by macarons. I decided to tackle making them, though, for a bake sale that was held to benefit the St. Croix Animal Welfare Society.

Guess what? I'm still intimidated by them. And defeated...but only barely. I did not achieve perfect, beautiful, adorable macarons, but the ones I did get were still delicious...I can't wait to try again and get them right!

For those of you who have never had a macaron, or don't know what they are, just look at them:

Photo courtesy of sparkleskitchen on Etsy

Aren't they just about the most adorable thing you've ever seen?! You can tint them to be any color in the rainbow, and filling possibilities are endless!

Whimsical Eggnog Christmas Cake

Once again, I present a recipe that is actually rooted in a food dislike of mine: eggnog. I have never liked eggnog. Unfortunately, the hubster loves it. It's unfortunate because I have a bad habit of not buying what I don't like...so he misses out. Our boy loves it too. He says it's his favorite drink ever, more than cream soda (which he loves an awful lot)! I, on the other hand, won't go near the stuff. 

I don't think it's disgusting, I just don't particularly enjoy it. In cake, though? That's a completely different story!

This cake turned out to have one of the best textures of any cake I've made before. It was moist and soft, but still had a firm bite. And the frosting ended up being the perfect compliment! I used the same frosting from this recipe, but adapted it to have a bit of an eggnog flavor. Needless to say, this cake was a huge hit in my house...even with me!

Chocolate Bread Pudding with Salted Caramel Sauce and Fresh Whipped Cream

Something about Christmas always makes me want chocolate. I mean, I always want chocolate, but Christmas makes me want it even more. I have to consciously choose not to make only chocolate treats this time of year. After all, not everyone loves it as much as I do (which I will never understand). I did, however, discover a recipe recently that wouldn't have happened if it hadn't had so much tasty chocolate in it.

When I was a little girl, my dad used to make desserts sort of on a whim. There was never any planning involved. He'd just take whatever we had on hand and whip something up. Sometimes this led to favorite little snacks, and smiles all around. But sometimes it ended up with groans of disappointment from me and my sisters. See, his favorite dessert to whip up was bread pudding. We would get all excited when he said he was going to make dessert, and then he'd pull bread pudding out of the oven. Gross.

Neither of my sisters or me liked it. It was a huge letdown to think we were getting something yummy, only to have bread pudding show up. Now, I won't say that I still don't like bread pudding, it wouldn't be fair (I haven't had it since I was a kid), but in my memories, I really don't like it. I have decided to try to make some like my dad used to make, and give it another chance. In the meantime, though, I just haven't liked it. Well, until now.

Chocolate makes everything better. I came across this recipe in one of my favorite cookbooks, The Art and Soul of Baking. Even with my sketchy past with bread pudding, I immediately wanted to try it (seriously, chocolate makes everything better). I am so very glad that I made this! Plus, like most bread puddings, it was simple to make...even with homemade caramel sauce! The best part is that you can prepare this for the oven the day before you plan to serve it. Then, you just pop it in the oven an hour and a half or so before dessert time, and you'll have a warm, delicious treat ready and waiting! Even the caramel sauce and whipped cream can be made early!

Pretty Little Winter Wonderland Cupcakes and a Pretty Little Giveaway!

A few weeks ago, my husband asked me what I was baking that day, and I told him cupcakes.

"I hope they're vanilla," he said.

"Um. No...they're chocolate."

"Oh," he said, his shoulders slumping slightly. "That sounds good," he claimed in a falsely cheery voice.

He's not a very good liar. Probably because he never lies. He's a heart-on-his-sleeve, tell-it-like-it-is, read-him-like-a-book kind of guy. Well, at least to me he is. When I say that to others, they look at me like I've lost my mind, because he's so reserved around others. But I digress. He clearly wanted vanilla cupcakes. Turns out he was sick of all of the chocolate, chai, fruity cupcakes that I've been making lately.

That got me thinking...I haven't actually made a straight up vanilla cupcake on here! I've come close before, but never just simple vanilla cake and frosting. I felt I owed it to him, so a few days later I baked up some vanilla cupcakes with whipped vanilla frosting (not whipped cream...you'll see). Then I got all mopey because I'm used to seeing snow on the ground by now, and decided to cheer myself up by making some winter wonderland cuppies!

I had already ordered some adorable decorations from Bake It Pretty (I promise these people aren't paying me or anything, I just love their stuff and their company...incredible customer service and amazing fast, cheap shipping), so I just needed to decide on colors and what I'd do to make them cute. That's when I was inspired to make my own printable cupcake picks! You know, they're everywhere right now, and really, they're such a great idea! I already had a theme (winter) and settled on a color scheme of pale pink, light blue, white, and silver. I wanted something wintry, but different than the typical red and green or blue and white that you tend to see this time of year. Then, photoshop and I spent the day together, and the results were pretty stinking charming, if I do say so myself!

Aren't they fun?! I love how sweet and elegant, yet whimsical, they look, but they're still perfect for the holiday season! You wanna know the best part, though? I know you do! The best part about these pretty picks is that you can make them too! You can make them, because I'm going to give them to you! *throws confetti and claps hands* Yay!! Clearly, I'm pretty excited about this.

This isn't like your typical giveaway, though, because you don't have to win these! And they're not just for one person either! They're free for anybody who wants them!! All you have to do is open the link at the end of the post, print them out on heavy white paper, and assemble! Your day just got happier, huh? It's ok, mine did too.

How Do You Celebrate the Holidays?

Yesterday's post by Andrea, and the corresponding comments from some of you, got me thinking... This time of year is so full of many different holidays and celebrations, how do you celebrate?

I am from the U.S., currently living in the Virgin islands, and my family celebrates Christmas. Since we're a military family, we keep things simple for the holidays, but we have our little traditions.

We prefer to have a live Christmas tree, but they're far too pricey here in the islands, so it's an artificial tree for us, for now. We typically put our tree up and decorate it around December 10, but this year, I was homesick for snow and that wintry feeling, so we put it up the weekend after Thanksgiving. Every ornament on our Christmas tree means something to at least one person in the family. They're all very special.

Gimme Some Sugar: A Sweet List of Tasty Links

Hi everyone! This is Andrea again! You may remember me from my post back in October? Well, I'm back again, with more delicious recipes to share with you! I'll be making my way here every month or two to share some of the wealth of links I've saved up, just a few at a time, so keep an eye out for me!

The holidays are here again! Personally, my life is crazy hectic right now, and adding Christmas to the mix…well, it just got more crazy hectic! :) Somehow, in the midst of it all, I still manage to find time to browse recipes online. I must feed the addiction that I was telling you all about a couple of months ago. :)

We celebrate Christmas in our family,  and we decided years ago to do our holiday gathering first thing Christmas morning since everyone has so many places to be that day, and so many meals to eat with their other families, so why we do breakfast! It’s fun and different, but we can still have a traditional ham for our meal just like almost everyone else does. Or at least I thought everyone else did. Over the years I’ve learned just how differently Christmas is celebrated by others. I especially enjoy learning what other cultures do for Christmas. I like to see what kinds of food they eat the most, though! You know...since I’m a food addict! ;)

I'm fortunate enough to work with many Hispanics, and I'm even more fortunate to get to eat some of the food they bring to work. It’s a definite perk of my job! My favorite is definitely tamales! They are so good! I was surprised to learn that tamales are usually served at Christmas, though. They require so much time and effort that they are reserved for special occasions. I decided this year I want to make some tamales for our Christmas! I know I'll be cooking for breakfast, but that’s ok, in many countries, tamales are eaten for breakfast too. I tried making them once before, and they were ok, but not great. This time will be different, though: I found a new link to try out! I can’t wait to try making them again. These look like they're going to be just what I need to succeed. I can’t wait!

Researching tamales made me curious about what people in other countries eat for their Christmas meals too. I found a few recipes that piqued my interest, and thought I’d share them with you!

Lovely Double-Braided Challah Bread

When I first met the hubster, he did not have a sweet tooth. At all. I'm sure you can imagine my disdain. I mean, I wasn't much of a baker back then, but I still loved sweets and pretty treats, but he wasn't the least bit interested in sharing them with me. Well, today he still doesn't have much of a sweet tooth, unless it's for homemade sweets, that is. He's not interested in store bought candies or desserts, but he loves to be my first taste tester when I try something new, and he always volunteers to help get rid of extra cakes and cookies!

One thing he's always loved, though, is bread. It doesn't always have to be fresh, homemade bread either, although that's his favorite. You can imagine his excitement, then, when I told him I was making a loaf of challah bread. He was like a little kid waiting for it to come out of the oven, and then cool, so he could have a slice...or four. The thing is, though, this time he had to fight me for it, cause this stuff is good!



It has an ever-so-slightly crisp crust, and the softest, yet firm, texture! I love how it's just a little sweet, too. You could definitely enjoy this plain, but it's the best with a smear of butter! Plus, it's just gorgeous, and so much easier than it looks! Admittedly, it takes several hours because it has to rise three times, but all of the steps involved in making it (even the braiding) are simple and easy.

Tootsie Roll Modeling Chocolate on Steampunk Cupcakes

With holiday season in full swing, I've been getting a lot of questions and comments about fondant. A lot of people are either intimidated by it, or disgusted by it. I can understand both points...if you've never worked with it, it's kind of scary, and a lot of fondant tastes awful! Well, before I get into today's post, I do have to say:

1. Fondant is fun! It's like playing with play-do or clay. Don't be scared to try it, because you can make things as simple or as elaborate as your patience, time, and skill will let you. And practice really does make perfect.

2. Marshmallow fondant (MMF) tastes nice. I hate "real" fondant. Even when it's homemade, "normal" fondant is just sickeningly sweet and basically flavorless, but MMF, while still quite sweet, has a nice flavor, and can be altered. I love adding a little lemon extract to mine.

Those two points being made, I know that there are some people who still aren't interested in fondant, even if they do want something sculpted for a cake or cupcake. It may be that they don't have time to make fondant from scratch, or they just don't want to. And if that's the case, and you hate the flavor of store bought fondant, what can you do? I think I may have an answer, but another reason I wanted to experiment with fondant alternatives is the humidity here. My fondant tends to just melt and sweat...it's so sad.

I've been thinking about those issues for a few weeks now, and I've come up with a partial answer. Besides fondant, there is modeling chocolate. I've never worked with modeling chocolate, although I have a recipe for making my own, and obviously, it would be more limited than fondant, as it's already brown, so coloring it is basically out the window. But it can be painted with food coloring and luster dust, so I thought it'd be a good jumping off point to finding fondant alternatives. Whenever I thought of it, my mind kept going to candy. I thought that there might be a fun option, that's readily available and easy to use: like tootsie rolls. 

Admittedly, I couldn't find them anywhere on my island. Tootsie rolls! Nowhere! But the hubster recently had to do a little traveling, so he grabbed a couple of bags for me to experiment with. Man, am I glad that he did! The results turned out so fun!

See? Didn't they?! I know it probably made sense to do something holiday themed, but I decided to make steampunk themed cupcakes, because...well...I wanted to! I love steampunk stuff, and there really aren't a whole lot of steampunk themed cupcakes out there, but also because the brown color wouldn't be much of a hindrance with them. I kept things relatively simple with just an adorable top hat and goggles, accented with little golden gears. Is it wrong of me to say that I freaking love how they turned out?! Seriously, I just think they're so cute! Plus, they were shockingly fast, once I figured out just what I wanted to do!