Chocolate Ganache & Christening Cupcakes

hi everyone, long time no see.

blame it on my asian genes >> clutter tendencies >> lost camera battery >> no pictures for blog! thank goodness for brothers and boyfriends who have extra cameras to borrow haha.

i recently took an order for 50 cupcakes for a baby christening. little baby zane - he's a cutie! his mom requested lemon cake with lemon buttercream & chocolate with chocolate ganache.

the lemon was pretty easy, just the magnolia vanilla recipe with 2 lemons grated into the batter and one lemon grated into the buttercream. it turned out nice and light, although next time i think it could use a little lemon exract for some punch.

chocolate ganache makes me nervous because that last time i attempted it for the 50 baby shower cupcakes, i had to throw away two batches. why? because 1) i didn't let the cupcakes cool long enough and 2) when you pour the boiled cream into the chocolate, you have to let it sit for a minute before you stir. rushing on either of these two steps will result in a chocolatey goo that won't stick to your cake - it will just drip right off.

here's the recipe for chocolate ganache. it seems intimidating, but personally i think it's alot easier to frost cupcakes with chocolate ganache then buttercream!

Chocolate Ganache

1/2 c whipping cram
4 oz chocolate

Place chopped chocolate in a heat proof bowl. Bring cream just to the boil and pour over chopped chocolate. Allow to sit for 1 minute before mixing until smooth. Can be reheated as needed. If the ganache splits, looks grainy or oily, stir in milk in teaspoons to restore.

it was my first time working with fondant, and I also made some fondant cutouts, which decorated with brushstrokes & edible glitter (which you paint on with vodka!) i wish i had more time, i would have made more cutouts and angels.

Bake Sale! Hamburger Cupcakes & Tartine Cookies

I helped host a Great American Bake Sale at work with all proceeds going to Share Our Strength, a charity to help fight childhood hunger in the US. It was so much fun, even more then I expected, and we raised $1400 in one week! Co-workers were very generous with donating their baked goods, and eating too. We were sold out in minutes almost every day. Above is a pictures of some of the baked treats we had on Tuesday.

The giant cookies are Tartine Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies. The recipe orginated from the famous bakery in the Mission District of San Francisco, so famous the line stretches out the door on Sunday mornings. It's currently my top favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe with a unique nutty flavor and amazing texture - I highly recommend it! (link takes you to the recipe)

I also made these "hamburger cupcakes" below out of white and chocolate cake, with colored buttercream for the mustard & ketchup, and green fruit roll up for the lettuce. As usual, it was more work then I expected, cutting all those tiny mini cupcakes in perfect halves...

Classic Red Velvet

Ahhhh, red velvet, it's everybody's favorite. And I didn't make it for years because I didn't know the big fuss. And I was afraid of red dye.

But last week, I finally lost my red velvet virginity. And boy was it memorable. I get it now. A good red velvet has a hint of tang, a faint aroma of cocoa, and just sweet and sour enough cream cheese frosting.

The recipe was actually very easy and you can get it from one of my favorite baking books:
The Sweet Melissa Baking Book: Recipes from the Beloved Bakery for Everyone's Favorite Treats

Just a note that if you make these, you have to eat them within three days. Otherwise the chocolate aroma fades, and the cupcakes are flavorless.

Baby Shower Cupcakes

I lost the battery to my digital camera and haven't been able to take photos for weeks. So sad as I have made at least 3 batches of cupcakes since then. One of them was for a baby shower. I made little bird nests and got bored with those, so made little baby booties, rattles and safety pins with buttercream. They were displayed very well given the variation in designs (I tried to tie them altogether with the theme colors - orange & teal.)


Close up shot of the baby bird cupcake:


And I also made a diaper cake for the baby, Dylan, whose sex was still undetermined!

You can learn about how to make these cupcakes from Martha Stewart.

Furikake Chex

What is Furikake?
a) A furry mammal that is cousin to the panda and koala
b) A modified form of karate
c) An expletive used to express hunger
d) Any dry Japanese condiment meant to be sprinkled on top of rice.
e) The name of my dog

If you answered (d), you are a Japanese culinary whiz! According to Wikipedia, “Furikake (振り掛け/ふりかけ ?) is any dry Japanese condiment meant to be sprinkled on top of rice. It typically consists of a mixture of dried and ground fish, sesame seeds, chopped seaweed, sugar, salt, and monosodium glutamate. Other flavorful ingredients such as katsuobushi (sometimes indicated on the package as bonito), salmon, shiso, egg, vegetables, etc. are often added to the mix.”

Added to chex cereal and a sugary syrup solution, furikake creates a party in your mouth - the sweet and salty, chewy and crunchy combination makes for the perfect afternoon snack.

Here is a photo of the Furikake I use to make Furikake Chex.

FURIKAKE CHEX RECIPE

You will need:
• 2-9x13 pans
• 2 large spoons or spatulas for mixing

Dry Ingredients
• 1 jar of furikake (see photo – available in asian supermarkets)
• 8 cups of cereal (choose a few from the following: rice chex*, corn chex*, wheat chex*, crispix, pretzels, pretzel sticks*, bugles*, japanese rice cracker mix*, honey comb, peanuts* and other nuts. I usually use 1 c each of the asteriked items, except for Japanese crackers and wheat chex which I use 2c, and peanuts only 1/2c)

Sauce Ingredients
• 1/4 c Karo's light corn syrup
• 1/2 c sugar
• 1/4 c vegetable oil
• 1/4 c melted butter
• 1 T soy sauce (or two packets take out soy sauce)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to about 215 degrees
2. Mix all cereal ingredients in giant pot or tub. Spread in an even layer on 2 trays.
3. Generously sprinkle furikake evenly over cereal on tray.
4. Mix and bring the sauce ingredients to a boil in a small pot. Do not overboil. Turn off heat.
5. Immediately pour half of sugar sauce on Tray 1. Set pot back on stove to stay warm. Using your two spatulas or spoons, fold and toss cereal on tray to evenly coat cereal mixture. Do this quickly.
6. Returning to sugar mixture that is kept hot on stove and give it a good stir. Repeat Step 5 on Tray 2.
7. Bake on middle rack for at least 1-2 hours at 215 degrees, or until crispy, mixing every 30 minutes.
8. Cool before serving.

Furikake Chex will keep fresh if kept in airtight container for several months. Do not make more than double the recipe, since the sugar mixture cools very quickly.

This blog entry is dedicated to MS, teacher of Furikake Chex & originator of my modified recipe above. And to WH who loves to eat Furikake Chex and thus inspires me to make it more than once a year.

Buttercream Begonias

I've always been intimidated by floral cream decorations, but with the upcoming birthday brunch I was having for my dear friend G, I decided it was time to get over those fears.

Homework:
Read up on buttercream flowers in Cake Art by the Culinary Institute of America.
Watch "A Cupcake Bouquet" youtube clip from the Culinary Institute of America



For the cake, I used the Magnolia Vanilla Cupcake recipe, using soy milk instead of whole milk(because I didn't have any.) The cake was very moist and fragrant, but a bit sweet for my liking. I think next time I will cut back on the sugar.

For the frosting I used my own buttercream recipe. I made one batch dyed yellow and left one white. Here is the result of my first buttercream flowers. What I learned is that you should make sure the buttercream is chilled just a little so your flower petals don't fall flat. And practice makes perfect!

Happy Birthday GK!

Healthy Kashi Krispy Treats

At the Sundance Film Festival this year, I managed to accidentally talk my way into a VIP party for Def Jam records. (I saw people holding Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf coffee cups outside, asked where they got it and was allowed in to get some!) They were giving away all type of fun swag, including baked goods from Blackbird Bakery - a specialty bakery shop in Texas that makes gluten free goodies. I fell in love with their millet power bars, made of organic puffed millet and organic puffed brown rice, organic dried cherries and blueberries, and sliced almonds. You can order from their website.

Thank you to Karen Morgan for inspiring me to make these healthier alternative to rice krisy treats!

Kashi Krispy Treats

Ingredients
1/2 stick butter or margarine
1 package marshmallows
1 box Kashi Go Lean cereal with 1 c rice krisy cereal
1 cup mixed small dried fruit (I used 1/2 blueberries & 1/2 cranberries, but you can also use raisins, cherries, or cut up apricots. Just make sure they are small bits)
1/2 c slivered toasted almonds

Directions
1. In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.
2. Add the cereal. Add the dried fruits and nuts. Stir until well coated.
3. Using buttered spatula or wax paper evenly press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Cool. Cut into 2-inch squares. Best if served the same day.