Summer Emails: Easy as Pie!

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Sweet Tooth

I couldn't very well dedicate a week of posts to my favorite things without including a few treats. Because I confess that I do have a bit of a sweet tooth.
Alright...maybe more than a "bit."
My favorite of the treats are probably cupcakes, but it's hard to say for sure. They're so cute and scrumptious. And easy to make.

Then again, so are scones. And cobbler. And cookies.
Overall I'd have to say that I prefer baking to cooking. This probably isn't great for the future of my waistline, but I can't hide who I am. There's just something appealing about flour and sugar and eggs all mixed together. Something that I don't find when...say...mixing chicken with rice and veggies.
This fondness for baked sweets runs in my family. My sister is the one who cleverly told me how to make sure my cookies don't go flat (a problem I've been having) and who knows the secrets of making zucchini bread in the croc pot. And then there's my dad, who always did the baking in the family, from birthday cakes to chocolate candy at Christmas.
Sweet tooths--the whole lot of us.

Now, if you'll excuse me...I'm going to eat some chocolate chip cookies for breakfast.

Do you have a sweet tooth, or were you one of those lucky people born without one? Share by posting your comment below!

**Just one more weekday until my new series (commence loud cheering), Je Ne Sais Quoi! I can't wait!**

More Culinary Creations

My family has a little Irish in it on my mom's side. The fair skin, the light eyes, and a few "Fitzgeralds" somewhere in the lineage. But truth be told, we never spent much time observing Irish culture. And so every year when St. Patrick's Day rolls around, I've never given it much thought.

But when I received Martha Stewart's March issue and saw her recipe for Irish Cream Cupcakes, I knew that it was finally time to give some attention to my Irish roots.
The ingredients for these little cakes include the basics: flour, eggs, milk, sugar, etc. And butter. Another whole stick of butter.

Yes...that means I have gone through 3 sticks of butter in the past 5 days. Apparently I'm turning into Julia Child....

Additionally, to accomplish the "coffee" element, the cupcakes called for instant espresso to round out the flavor, and fortunately for me I always keep a little on hand specifically for baking purposes like this...
And then came my handy Kitchen-Aid mixer. It still pleases me to watch it mix so obediently while I keep myself otherwise occupied. Truly it won't be long before I'm caught saying things like, "I don't know how I ever managed without one," and "every woman needs this appliance."
Now here's where my baking enterprise admittedly gets a little obnoxious. You see, the only paper cups I had on hand were leftovers from Valentines Day. Which means that they have red hearts on the bottom and lots of pink stripes. Now everyone knows that you CAN'T put desserts themed for one holiday (in this case, St. Pats Day) into cups designed for another, and so I had a serious dilemma.

So here's the obnoxious part: rather than go to the store to just buy generic cups like a normal person, I decided to be an overachiever and make my own cups from parchment paper. And so I diligently measured each parchment square, and even used special craft scissors to cut a jagged edge on each one.

It was the kind of move that could get you harmed in some parts of the world. The parts that don't take kindly to overzealous displays of free time and unnecessary crafting.
Oh...I almost forgot to mention that these cupcakes also have whiskey in them. These snacks aren't for children, people.
And here, my friends, is the result. Some whipped cream frosting sprinkled with espresso powder and they truly do remind me of an irish cream coffee.

My favorite part about them is that they weren't very sweet. Only half-a-cup of sugar in the cakes and a spoonful in the frosting allowed the other flavors, like coffee and liquor, to come through.
And yes--to round it all out I did pair mine with a glass of Guinness, although I couldn't convince many of my friends to do the same.

There's still time to bake your own Irish Cream treats before St. Patty's Day! I'd give you the link to the recipe, but as usual I can't find it online. So snatch a copy of Martha's March issue and bake away!

These Things Can Literally Stop Your Heart.

note: the following post contains MANY gratuitous photos of ooey, gooey, cinnamon rolls. Consider yourself warned.
Hello and happy Friday to you all.
I don't mean to brag, but this is what I ate for breakfast.
I can still taste every so faintly the cinnamon. And sugar. And cream cheese.
For the record, I have decided to block all memories involving the butter and sugar affair mentioned yesterday, and have chosen to not even think about the number of calories I just consumed.
Trust me--it's better that way.
Did I mention that the recipe I used made 24 cinnamon rolls?

That's right--TWO DOZEN.
Two down...twenty to go.
Can someone please wake me from my food comma before lunch?

Thank you.

Inducting the Kitchen Aid: cream cheese frosting (part 3)

I promise that this is the last cinnamon roll post for today (note: I only said today. Be prepared for more gratuitous photos of gooey buns tomorrow!). I realize that maybe you are tired of hearing about cinnamon rolls, but when I got home from my lunch and errands, the wonderful smell of cinnamon and fresh bread filled the air, and I couldn't resist the urge to finish the process and frost some buns.

(note: a small, juvenile part of me just smiled at the phrase "frost some buns." Apparently the later in the day it gets, the more I resemble a 12-year-old-boy...)
Now, the recipe I was consulting for the rolls included a Caramel Glaze to pour over the top, but I knew that just wouldn't do. Because if I was going to put TWO sticks of butter and TWO cups of sugar into these babies, you can be sure that I wasn't going to cut corners with some lame "glaze."

Oh no--I was going out with a bang. What I mean is that these rolls needed Cream Cheese Frosting and nothing less. And so I set about concocting my own recipe. I did select, as you will note below, a few lower-fat options, probably to assuage my aforementioned butter/sugar guilt, but the result was just what I wanted.
Which is to say that I wanted a light, slightly tangy frosting. I realize that some of you readers out there might prefer to load a thick, buttery pile of ultra-sugary frosting on top of your bun, but I frankly can't handle all that sweetness. So I toned down the sugar (way down). You, of course, can add more if you want. After TWO sticks of butter, I hardly have room to judge.

And the final result? More on that tomorrow...

Inducting the Kitchen Aid: anatomy of a cinnamon roll (part 2)

First of all, my husband would like you all to know that some of these photos were taken by him. Normally I wouldn't indulge him in making this announcement, but since I had to rush out to lunch, leaving him to the task of watching the rolls rise and baking them, I figured I owed him.

Besides, normally his hands are so shaky that his photos turn out blurry, and he was very proud that these turned out sharp. I can only imagine how hard he was concentrating while shooting these...
Now onto part 2 of the rolls themselves. After my chemistry experiments with warm ingredients and yeast, the dough did actually rise as intended. I say this because often my breads have difficulty rising, so when they perform like they're supposed to, I feel rather elated.

This dough, as you can see above, actually rose right out of the bowl, pushing up the lid. What a little overachiever!
Next comes the guts. In case you're counting, there are 2--that's right, TWO--sticks of butter in these rolls. I was mentioning to my friends at lunch that everyone should be forced to bake these type of treats from scratch at least once because it makes you oh-so-keenly aware of how terribly bad they are for your arteries. Which is a fact you ignore when you just buy the roll at the bakery.

Buying them, after all, doesn't involve the process of actually unwrapping the two sticks of butter by hand and dumping them into the bowl. Along with 2 cups of sugar.

You get my point.
Of course none of that stopped me from carrying on with my baking. From this point it was time to roll the dough--a very hearty and satisfying exercise if you ask me personally. Kinda makes up for the butter & sugar guilt. A little.
Then comes the rolling part of the rolls. Yes, you have to get your hands dirty. Cinammon rolls aren't for the dainty.
Finally the rolls are ready to be sliced and set into their baking dishes so that they can rise yet again for another hour before they hit the oven.

But more on that last part later...

Inducting the Kitchen Aid: a tale of cinnamon rolls (part 1)

note: this tale will continue throughout the day in various parts...
The Kitchen Aid--helper of domestic divas for ages--was a contentious item among me and my husband during our engagement. You see, I wanted one. I recall distinctly standing in the aisles of a department store, registry gun in hand, ready and willing to zap the tag of a cherry red mixer on the shelf. And then the fight began.

He thought they were too expensive. I thought every young bride needed one. And I lost the battle. Thus no Kitchen Aid for me.

That is, until my recent 30th birthday when I guess everyone in my family was tired of me telling my sad Kitchen-Aid-registry story and just decided to all chip in and buy me one.

And so I have decided that today is the day to induct my new appliance into the family. And Cinnamon Rolls are the object of choice.
Now, I was planning on waking up around 6:00am to start these lovely rolls--because bakers rise early, you know. Alas, I knew even before I hit the pillow last night that no matter how delectable the gooey rolls may be, they didn't stand a chance of rousing me from bed that early.

And so it was later--much, much later--that I started to melt the butter and sugar in milk, and warm the eggs in a bowl.
While the ingredients were coming up to room temperature (apparently a prerequisite for tasty rolls), I was laying out the various appendages that come with a standard Kitchen Aid. Is it just me, or do they slightly resemble a collection of medieval torture devices?

Torture aside, the spiral dough hook is the one I needed, so I fastened it to the mixer and then tried to decipher the yeast-dissolving instructions from my recipe book. Using my meat thermometer (seriously--I really should get an appropriate temperature gauge) I tried to get the yeast-water mixture just right, all the while feeling very glad that I didn't attempt this chemistry with bleary eyes at 6AM.
And after some measuring and mixing, I gleefully watched as the dough gradually came together in my shiny new machine.

Now it is resting and rising in a sunny corner on my counter, waiting for the next step.

To be continued...

Gratuitous

warning: this post contains gratuitous images of pink frosting. Viewing these images may cause you to impulsively crave cake. We at Deviantly Domesticated take no responsibility for actions caused by this post and cannot be held liable.
Today's post, my friends, has very little to do with being a lady. Oh yes, I suppose that I could conjure up some profound kind of connection, like the feminine value of serving pretty desserts, or my fondness for all things pink. But really...I don't have the energy.
Although truth be told, I probably should have the energy since this lovely cake you are viewing was, in fact, my breakfast.

Not the whole cake, mind you. If it was the whole cake I would not be writing but would instead be spending some quality time in the restroom. Fortunately I have better restraint than that.
I felt compelled to bake this little sugary treasure for a variety of reasons. First, it was one of my best friend's birthdays yesterday and I thought it an appropriate way to celebrate.

And, yes, I know that she lives in Los Angeles and I live in Colorado. I hardly see what that has to do with anything...
I've also developed a seasonal hankering for frosted treats, particularly adorned in shades of pink. I blame it on Valentine's Day and all of my magazines that feel it necessary to publish lush photos of such desserts every year around this time.
Obviously by now you've noticed that I decorated the top with polka dots of teensy round sprinkles. It just makes eating it all that much more enjoyable. Nevermind that the sides are lopsided and that it definitely resembles the Mad Hater leaning ever so slightly to the left on top of its cake stand.
In fact, the whole cake reminds me of some trippy psychedelic dish you might find in Wonderland. To be honest, I've never been all that fond of Alice in Wonderland. Too creepy and dark.
I am, however, quite fond of this cake, which tastes neither creepy nor dark in spite of its rabbit-hole resemblances.

To close, if you haven't already left this post to bake yourself a giant pink polka dot cake, then permit to say this one last thing, which is that you should come back tomorrow where I will indulge in more pink, except in a far more responsible manner.

Happy Craving!--steph

Gruesome

I haven't posted any of my baking undertakings lately, and I figured that perhaps it was time once again for some lovely sweets. Fortunately, my sister was visiting and in the mood for cupcakes, and so I had the perfect excuse to dust off my muffin tins.
Now it has come to my attention that perhaps some of you have developed this impression of me as some type of homemaking diva. The type that makes everything from scratch, and always has a batch of warm cookies baking in the oven when someone comes over for a visit.

And it is true that hospitality is a quality of elegant females. And that I prefer to make things from scratch. And that I do often have frozen cookie dough in my freezer. But...I am not exempt from baking disasters.
With the best of intentions, and fresh ingredients, I managed to deliver some of the worst cupcakes I have ever baked. Everything went wrong. Everything.

The middles sunk into sad hollows. The edges turned crispy brown while the centers stayed gooey.
And they were chewy. Not fluffy. Not moist. Not light and airy.

Chewy.What went wrong, you ask? Well...we're not entirely sure, but the baking powder is our leading suspect.

So what did I do about my gruesome cupcakes?

I did what every normal person would do. I threw them away, went to Wal-Mart, and bought a cake mix. A cake mix that I will use later today to redeem this sad, sad baking story.And hope that this time they turn out something like the cupcake above.

What is your worst baking disaster? Make me feel better and share your story here by commenting below!

blueberry skillet

Holiday dinners are all fine and well, but my favorite mealtimes during this season are the breakfasts. I love getting up late and lingering around the kitchen table in my pajamas, eating leftovers and special breakfast dishes.

And so this year I thought I would add another morning entree to my holiday cooking repertoire: Blueberry Breakfast Skillet (isn't it pretty?).
Do you remember when I stocked up on blueberries this past summer and froze them in cup-size portions? I reasoned that someday, in the midst of cold winter weather, I would want to eat some of those delightful summer berries. And I was right.
While the blueberries defrosted in my cast iron skillet amidst sugar, cinnamon, and some tapioca, I whipped up the crust in my handy food processor. God bless the person who invented the food processor! They make dough-making a cinch.
And here it is, all ready to be rolled out. This buttery pastry is definitely on the sticky side, so make sure you have flour close at hand if you decide to make this dish. I had to start the rolling step over more than once before I got it right...
Transferring it to the blueberry-filled-skillet was also a bit of a challenge. The recipe recommends the aid of a rimless baking sheet, but I didn't have the patience for that. My transfer motto? Move quick. Very, very quick.
And here, friends, is the result. Hot and bubbly from the oven, it is sure to impress your overnight guests or hungry kiddos on Christmas morning.
To make this blueberry skillet breakfast for yourself and family this holiday season, click here for the free recipe from Sunset Magazine!

Note: I did make a few modifications to the recipe: I used half shortening and half butter in the pastry crust, blueberries instead of huckleberry, and I added a cap-ful of almond extract to the filling.

And, to be unabashedly self promoting, those lovely napkins you see beside the skillet are from my Winter Napkins pattern... I'm just saying...

Enjoy!