A-Frame Chalet : Daring Bakers December 2009

Gingerbread Chalet, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

The December 2009 Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to you by Anna of Very Small Anna and Y of Lemonpi. They chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ everywhere to bake and assemble a gingerbread house from scratch. They chose recipes from Good Housekeeping and from The Great Scandinavian Baking Book as the challenge recipes.

I absolutely loved this months challenge. Every December I host a gingerbread making party, complete with frosting 'glue', lots of candy, christmas punch, and a cheeseball (for eating, of course). So, this challenge was right up my Holiday alley. I actually made two houses this year. This A-Frame, and a tall london tower-esque house, whose roof wouldn't stay put, so, in the garbage it went. The A-frame appealed to me because the roof went from sky to floor, no sliding, holding in place for long periods of time, or any gingerbread acrobatics in general. This little house could probably be much fancier than it currently is, but I was in very simple, minimalistic mood the morning I glued it all together. I encourage you to check out the other Daring Bakers gingerbread homes, there are many spectacular structures among them!

Gingerbread house making may be over in your household, with the end of the holiday season usually comes the end of holiday projects and treats, but if you're still up for a little confection making and you haven't tackled the almighty gingerbread house, whether it be an A-frame, a cottage, a barn, or a tower, I suggest you take a little time before the new year and get a buildin'!

Anna's Recipe:
Spicy Gingerbread Dough (from Good Housekeeping)

2 1/2 cups (500g) packed dark brown sugar


1 1/2 cups (360mL) heavy cream or whipping cream


1 1/4 cups (425g) molasses


9 1/2 cups (1663g) all-purpose flour


2 tablespoon(s) baking soda


1 tablespoon(s) ground ginger

Directions

1. In very large bowl, with wire whisk (or with an electric mixer), beat brown sugar, cream, and molasses until sugar lumps dissolve and mixture is smooth. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and ginger. With spoon, stir flour mixture into cream mixture in 3 additions until dough is too stiff to stir, then knead with hands until flour is incorporated and dough is smooth.

2. Divide dough into 4 equal portions; flatten each into a disk to speed chilling. Wrap each disk well with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, until dough is firm enough to roll.

3. Grease and flour large cookie sheets (17-inch by 14-inch/43x36cm)

4. Roll out dough, 1 disk at a time on each cookie sheet to about 3/16-inch thickness. (Placing 3/16-inch dowels or rulers on either side of dough to use as a guide will help roll dough to uniform thickness.)

5. Trim excess dough from cookie sheet; wrap and reserve in refrigerator. Chill rolled dough on cookie sheet in refrigerator or freezer at least 10 minutes or until firm enough to cut easily.

6. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (149C)

7. Use chilled rolled dough, floured poster board patterns, and sharp paring knife to cut all house pieces on cookie sheet, making sure to leave at least 1 1/4 inches between pieces because dough will expand slightly during baking. Wrap and reserve trimmings in refrigerator. Combine and use trimmings as necessary to complete house and other decorative pieces. Cut and bake large pieces and small pieces separately.

8. Chill for 10 minutes before baking if the dough seems really soft after you cut it. This will discourage too much spreading/warping of the shapes you cut.

9. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until pieces are firm to the touch. Do not overbake; pieces will be too crisp to trim to proper size.

10. Remove cookie sheet from oven. While house pieces are still warm, place poster-board patterns on top and use them as guides to trim shapes to match if necessary. Cool pieces completely before attempting to assemble the house.

Gingerbread Chalet, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

Gingerbread Chalet, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

Gingerbread Chalet, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

Make Whoopie : Chocolate Peppermint Whoopie Pies

Chocolate Peppermint Whoopie Pies, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

You must make whoopie. Sorry, couldn't resist the innuendo there. But, I'm serious. You must make whoopie, pies that is. From what I've gathered they're a strictly an east coast treat, a popular New England confection. Being raised on the west, and never having stepped foot near the East, I'm not entirely sure how I became familiar with whoopie pies. Other food blogs is one culprit I'm sure. The other is likely the stack of cookie books I've acquired (if you didn't know this already, cookies are in my top three all time favorite desserts). I stumbled across this recipe on Baking Bites that was from a book I already had dubbed The Good Cookie. This truly is a good cookie. I did alter it a bit. Not the cake ('cookie') recipe, but the filling. Since we're getting so close to Christmas (9 days, yikes!) I knew I wanted to make something that hearkened the approaching Holiday. So, instead of the traditional vanilla filling I made a cream cheese filling, and sprinkled it with crushed candy cane. I was impressed. I can understand why the New York Times declared the whoopie pie was the next cupcake. It's not. Sorry, but nothing can beat the cuteness or the versatility of a cupcake. But I will say, I have never made a chocolate cupcake as moist as these little chocolate discs. The texture and flavors were outstanding. Sweet, but not explode your tastebuds sweet. Moist and soft. It's as if my two favorite desserts, cake and cookie, got together and made a perfect little dessert baby. So, if you've never made these little gems, I highly recommend you do, whether or not you go traditional with the filling (sans the cream cheese and peppermint) or not.

Chocolate Peppermint Whoopie Pies, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

Recipe : Chocolate Whoopie Pies

Ingredients:

2 cups AP flour

1 cup coco powder

3/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup room temp. butter

1 cup sugar

1 large egg yolk

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup hot water

1/2 buttermilk (I made my own, 1/2 cup whole milk with 1/2 Tablespoon of Cider vinegar added)

1 batch cream cheese filling (recipe below)

3 candy candes, crushed

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Line baking sheet with Silpat or parchment.

2. In a medium sized bowl whisk flour, salt, and cocoa powder together. Add baking powder to hot water and stir.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 3 minutes, until light and creamy.

4. Add egg yolk and vanilla and mix until well combined.

5. Starting with the flour: add a bit of flour, then a bit of buttermilk, then a bit of milk. Repeat. Be sure you start and end with flour and do not overmix or the cake will get 'heavy'. This might sound complicated, I promise you, it's not.

6. I used a melon baller to scoop up equal amounts (about a teaspoon) of dough and drop onto prepared baking sheet about 1/4 inch a apart.

7. Bake cookies 5-7 minutes. The tops will crack.

8. Cool completely before filling.

9. Fill each cookie with a healthy schmear of cream cheese filling, dust with candy cane.

Cream Cheese Filling:

Ingredients:

2 cups good powdered sugar

4 Tbs room temperature butter

4 oz. cream cheese

2 Tbs heavy cream

pinch of salt

Directions:

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer add sugar, butter, and cream cheese. Mix on slow speed at first, increasing the speed as the sugar mixes in.

2. Add cream and salt and mix until smooth.

3. Pipe or spread about a teaspoon inside each cookie.

Dried : Cranberry Blondies

Cranberry Blondies, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

I believe this is going to be one the quickest post in ASITK's history. You see, not only was I behind this week on my posting, for various reasons, this weekend I'm headed down to Seattle to stay in a very lovely hotel with a fabulous girlfriend. A girls weekend away. However, I am currently insanely behind on oh so many things. From printing out confirmations and directions, to laundry and packing. I am determined to share these blondies with you before I finish up with my other responsibilities (and while my last load spins away in the washing machine)! I sent my lovely boyfriend to work this morning with a pile of these. From what I hear they were pretty much a success. There were a few bumps in the baking road. First, my cranberries didn't dry (yes, I dried my own, without a dehydrator at that). The first method I attempted directed me to heat the oven to 350, turn it off, place cranberries on a baking sheet with a bit of sugar and allow to sit, in the cooling oven, overnight. When morning came, I had partially dried berries. My solution? Turn the oven to 185 and continue roasting until shriveled, about 2-3 more hours. In the end they were a success. Refreshingly tart, not overly sweet. These blondies, or, cookie bars, are quite delicious. Each one has a crunchy, flaky, layer of sweetness on top, a soft chewy center, and is littered with bits of smashed white chocolate and dried cranberry flesh. I topped them each with a schmear of meyer lemon cream cheese frosting, a dried berry or two, and a drizzle of white chocolate. I absolutely loved these. Not only will they be a good go-to for the holidays, a recipe both perfect for fall and the Christmas, but I think I will be able to manipulate the batter to suit other seasons fruits and treats. If I were you, I would be adding these to your holiday baking list!

Cranberry Blondies, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

Recipe: Cranberry Blondies with Meyer Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

3/4 butter melted

1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/4 flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

3/4 dried cranberries

1/4 roughly chopped white chocolate

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl combine butter and brown sugar well until incorporated. Whisk in the two eggs, one at a time. Then add vanilla.

2. In another small bowl mix flour, baking powder, and salt together.

3. Slowly fold in the flour into the wet mixture. Stir until well combined.

4. Add cranberries and white chocolate bits.

5. Pour into a 13x9 prepared baking pan.

6. Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 20-25 minutes.

7. Allow to cool to room temperature then frost with meyer lemon cream cheese frosting (recipe below), garnish with a few dried cranberries and a drizzle of white chocolate.

Recipe: Easy Meyer Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

1 8 oz. package cream cheese

1 tsp freshly grated meyer lemon zest

1 cup powdered sugar

1 Tablespoon heavy cream

Directions:

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer (or with electric beaters) combine first three ingredients. Once well combined beat in heavy cream.

Cranberry Blondies, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

Well, I guess that wasn't so short afterall! Time to get back to getting ready. Eye lids are getting heavy and there's still plenty to do!

Sweet Sadness : Apple Streusel Bars

Apple Streusel Bars, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

I've been doing my best to be consistent with blogging. For me, that's become posting every Wednesday, at least for the last few weeks. Clearly, Wednesday has come and gone, and still, no post. I could give you excuses: it's just been one of those weeks, car trouble, I've been busy, the cranberries I planned to use in my recipe refused to dry overnight so I had to start the process all over again on Wednesday. While all of those things are entirely true, I kind of hate excuses. Do what you say you're going to do when you say you're going to do it. That's the kind of girl I am. Although, I suppose I never actually announced, 'I'll be blogging every Wednesday folks'. But, I can see from my traffic stats that many of you have caught on to my unofficial Wednesday rule. Enough babble eh? Let's get down to it. This isn't my Wednesday post, nope, that post will be up tomorrow. This is simply a 'tide you over until the real deal happens' post.

The Top Chef finale was last night, meaning I simply had to cook or bake something a little special. After getting home late I was too tired for a complicated meal, so a salad it was for dinner, and baking it had to be in honor of Top Chef. A few weeks ago I stumbled across Honey & Jam. An amazing food blog created by an uber talented amazing young woman. I'm sure most of you food bloggers and readers are already familiar with her and her work, but if not, it's a must read (on a regular basis). A week or so ago she posted the most enticing pictures of these Apple Streusel Bars. Our local apple bounty is still in full force, and not having got my fair share during Thanksgiving I put these bars on my immediate 'to be baked' list. Last night was the night for it. All I needed were apples and a pint of good vanilla ice cream. I made two slight alterations to the original recipe she has posted. First, I used a slightly larger pan so that I could put all of the crust on the bottom and instead of reserving some of the crust for the topping I made an oatmeal streusel. I swapped out the powdered sugar glaze for a cinnamon and brown sugar one, which simply consists of 2 parts brown sugar to one part heavy cream with a dash or two of cinnamon. I have to say I love this simple recipe. It's right up my dessert alley. The crust was incredibly crumbly and isn't ultra sweet, the granny smith apples I used were perfectly tart, and the glaze added the perfect punch of sweet. Since I ended up with a plateful of mixed greens and berries for dinner, I paired the Top Chef finale with a very healthy dose of these bars and vanilla ice cream. While the ultimate Top Chef outcome wasn't what I had wished (team Kevin!) this sweet treat distracted me from my momentary misery. Be sure to check out Honey & Jam and come back tomorrow for cranberry blondies with meyer lemon cream cheese frosting!

Apple Streusel Bars, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

When It's Cold Outside : Vegetarian Chili

Vegetarian Chili, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

The week after Thanksgiving is usually quite the lazy one. The boyfriend and I are busy cleaning, putting away the fall decor and swapping it out for the Christmas. Days after Thanksgiving has come and gone we're still gobbling down the last bits of turkey, mashed potato, stuffing and the ever famous green bean casserole (particularly if we hosted, as we did this year). Come Monday, we're entirely done with anything that smacks of Thanksgiving. Because of that I like to keep our dinner schedule easy and light. I don't want to be in front of a hot stove for too long, and neither of us are much up for heavier faire. That's when I lean on simple favorites like this vegetarian chili. It's a perfect one pot, quick and easy meal that is still warm enough to satisfy the soul on the frosted nights that have set in. I found this recipe on one of my favorite go-to food websites, 'Simply Recipes'. Elise's recipes are always simple, delicious, well explained and all together no fail. The original recipe is actually intended to be a Thanksgiving leftover turkey chili. Due to turkey overload I've omitted the turkey. Actually, the first time I made this chili I used ground turkey, and a very spicy chili powder. I've come to prefer it without meat, and I seek out a smoky chili powder instead of a spicy variety. I also like to add a cup of corn. I love how the sweet kernels pop when you bite into their yellow flesh. Something about that sweet/spicy combo I just can't get enough of. I like my chili dressed with sharp cheddar, sour cream, green onion, maybe even a little hot sauce or avocado and served alongside a large slice of moist cornbread. If you haven't, I absolutely encourage you to check out Simply Recipes, I've never been disappointed by Elise or her recipes.

Vegetarian Chili, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

Recipe: Vegetarian Chili Adapted From Simply Recipe's 'Turkey Chili'

Makes appx. 12 cups

Ingredients:

1 medium sweet onion roughly diced

4 garlic gloves

1 sweet bell pepper roughly diced (orange, red, green, yellow, all are good)

1/4 olive oil

2 Tbsp chli powder (up to four, depending on how spicy you like it)

1 Tbsp ground cumin

1 Tbsp dried hot red pepper flakes ( less if you don't want so much heat)

2 Tbsp tomato paste

2 35 oz. can stewed tomatoes, crushed

1 15 oz. kidney beans drained and rinsed

1 15 oz. black beans drained and rinsed

1 cup fresh (depending on season) or frozen yellow or white sweet corn kernels

1 tsp dried oregano

1 Tbsp salt (or more, to taste)

1/2 tsp black pepper

Sprinkling of brown or white sugar (balances the acidity of all those crushed tomatoes)

Garnish of your choice. Avocado, sour cream, green onion, shredded sharp cheddar etc.

Directions:

1. In a large soup pot over medium heat add olive oil, onion and green pepper. Cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.

2. Add garlic and all the spices (chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes) except the oregano. Mix well, cook an additional minute or two.

3. Add tomato paste, incorporate well. Then add the crushed tomatoes stock, oregano, black beans, kidney beans, corn, salt, pepper and stir until combined. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for at least an hour.

4. If needed, add a bit of sugar, and any additional salt. Serve hot and garnish as desired.

I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends, and didn't max out too much on incredible food!