Cake Humor

Baking with Beth...again

I’m revisiting the Breakfast Brulee recipe because I like it so much. Yoplait yogurt was on sale again this week, so this morning I tried the recipe again.

Here’s the original recipe.

Also while grocery shopping this week I picked up a package of day-old cake donut holes, originally intending them to be used in Lincoln’s school lunches next week.
Since I never buy refrigerated biscuits I wanted to try this recipe using other “breads” to see if the recipe was flexible. Here’s this weekend’s version:

Churro Brulee

2 eggs
12 oz. vanilla yogurt
¼ c. milk
1/8 tsp. nutmeg

Beat together until mixed

20 cake donut holes (covered in cinnamon), smashed

I preheated the oven to 375 degrees, then sprayed 8 ramekins with Pam. I placed the ramekins on a cookie sheet and put 1 ½ smashed donut holes in the bottom of each ramekin and then topped it with ¼ c. of yogurt mixture. Then I topped each with 1 smashed donut hole and poured some water into bottom of cookie sheet. Then I baked it for 20 min.

The result: It was good, although not quite sweet enough. I assumed that the donut holes would have enough sugar in/on them to sweeten up the custard. But both Joel and I sprinkled about a ½ tsp. on top of our cooked custards and liked the flavor better that way. Next time we make this recipe we’ll definitely sprinkle a ½ tsp. of sugar over each custard before we top it with the donut hole.
We also liked the texture that the donut holes brought to the dish. It was not doughy at all, but smooth, cakey and yummy. And the cinnamon that covered the donut holes reminded both Joel and I of a churro: the top of the custard had a slight crunch to it, and the custard underneath reminded us of the chewy/soft inside a churro. So, it was a hit! We loved it. I’m interested in trying out this recipe with other yogurt flavors as well as other breads. Particularly, I can’t wait to get my hands on Meridee’s artisan bread recipe so I can try it out in an upcoming breakfast brulee creation.

Ole!

Baking with Beth

While my little sister dreams of starring in her own cooking show, I've already lived that. Gone down that road. Tested those waters.
Some of you may recall the semester of 8th grade where I ANCHORED the DBS (Dixon Broadcast System) News EVERYDAY with Matt Duerden as well as contributed occasional (okay, just once) "Baking with Beth" cooking segments. (Cue the memories of Mr. What's-his-name (journalism teacher)and his strange obsession with me: casting me for a specialty "makeover" spot in the yearbook, keeping a picture of me hung in his office for years, and continually pestering my little sister (he was her ballroom coach for a while) with questions about me...fame has its price.)
As I recall, the most popular (or only) recipe featured was butterscotch pudding from the box with whipped cream and crushed Skor bar on top. I got the recipe from an ancient cooking with kids recipe book out of the vast Dixon Middle School library. good times.
So, I love cooking. I'm not gourmet, and I have dang four kids (my new excuse for everything I don't do well), but I cook so that I can eat something good. I think that's one of the threads that bind Marilyn and I together: we obsess about food. When am I going to eat next? What can I make that's going to taste really good? And, how much can I eat on the sly without having to share with my kids? If dinner turns out gross, can I pawn the leftovers on my husband for his lunch tomorrow?
I'm enjoying my Google Reader subscriptions to food blogs very much, though I haven't tried any of the recipes from them until now. And while others I know post a ton of pictures of great food they make, I'm too impatient to stop and take pictures of every step. Anyway, here's my first attempt at a food blogging estrasasanda.
Recipe #1: Fruit Leather

Amy, this is your recipe, plus I added some sugar. (I think my journey to becoming super healthy is going to take a little longer than yours.)
My mom gave me a bucket of apricots (and though you'll never read this mom, because you have to call me to come over and turn your computer ON, type up your mass email anecdotes from your Nauvoo missionary friends, connect to your DIAL-UP internet - that internet speed should be outlawed, and print off any and every church talk and/or Sounds of Sunday sappy with cheese story ever aired, thanks.) and I didn't have any pectin to make jam, didn't have any intention of going to the store soon, and the apricots were getting RIPE. So, I blended them all up and added some powdered sugar to taste, poured it out onto greased cookie sheets and let them dry in the sun. It was yummy! Thanks for the recipe, Amy!
P.S. Some unexpected ingredients found their way to our special fruit leather. It may be because we live next door to a swamp (but I'll thank you to refer to it as a wetland, because it sounds less trailer-trash-y) and because our backyard is still just dirt and rocks.
A little protein with our antioxidants:
Dirt is a good source of minerals:

Recipe #2: Breakfast Brulee
I copied this recipe out of a book at Meridee's house (check out her add-on). I liked how it was a faster, easier version of Creme Brulee - I didn't even need a blow torch for the carmelized sugar on top! Plus, since I used lowfat yogurt and 1% milk, I cut out a ton of fat. I feel pretty good about myself for that. Because with all the fat I saved in this recipe, it means I can eat just that many more of my brownies (see below). P.S. How come my baby fat isn't just melting off me?

It was really yummy and reminded me of bread pudding. I thought the biscuits gave them a too-starchy flavor, but if you like biscuits, then you'll probably appreciate that flavor in them.
2 good quality eggs
1/4 c. good quality whipping cream (please! I'm not going to the store for 1/4 c. whipping cream! I just used 1% milk)
1/8 tsp. good quality ground nutmeg
12 oz. good quality french vanilla yogurt (2 containers of Yoplait)
1 can good quality Pillsbury Grands Flaky Layers refrigerated biscuits
1/3 c. good quality sugar
3 tbsp. good quality butter or margarine


Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 8 ramekins with Pam, place on cookie sheets. In bowl, beat eggs, cream, nutmeg, and yogurt until well blended. Separate dough into 8 biscuits and then 1/2 each biscuit, making 16 rounds. Place sugar in shallow dish. Brush both sides of each round with butter (I used my corn butterer, so I think after all I only used about 1 tbsp. of margarine) coat both sides with sugar. Place 1 dough round in bottom of each ramekin. Spoon 1/4 c. yogurt mixture over dough in ramekin. Top with remaining rounds. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until tops are golden brown. Cool 15 min. before serving.


Recipe #3: Brownies
This is my new favorite way to make brownies. Get a box brownie mix, reduce the oil from 2/3 c. to 1/2 c. (shh, don't tell anyone. this is just to trim some fat from the recipe) and make mix according to directions. Before baking, sprinkle 1/2 c. butterscotch chips on top of batter in baking dish and then bake as usual. The chips sink a bit into the batter and give the brownies a hint of caramel flavor. YUM!

Does anyone have recipes they'd like me to post about?
And, this post took me over an hour to create. Am I the only one who feels guilty that I didn't instead spend the time playing with my kids, folding 4 days worth of laundry or cleaning my kitchen for the first time this week (...it's Saturday)?
Attention Missy Christensen: I can't find your blog! Please send me the link along with a $20 processing fee.

It's My Blog and I'll Post a Million Pictures of My Kids If I Want To

So, most of you don't care to see 4,000 pictures of Mary. But here she is, anyway, in all her glory. (I took these on my birthday, when she was 7 weeks old)

After I took these I got some great advice from a photographer Visiting Teacher, so next time I'll take a lot more time setting up my photo shoot, making sure the lighting is better so there's less editing to do afterward.

Mobiles

Who is going to make me one of these?

I'm busy. I have dang four kids. I can't get anything done, especially blogging, unless I let something else slide. And as I'm tentatively hoping that Clara's interest in the totie will turn into being really potty trained, blogging continues to fall further and further down the priority list. (As it is Clara pooed - how does one spell that? - in her swimsuit and then somehow got poo smeared all over my carpet in three spots. It was refreshing because I just hadn't cleaned enough today.) As does responding to any of ya'lls posts. You should feel so lucky if I ever comment because at this point, my comments on blogs is so rare it's an endangered species.
That is why I'm giving another lame post of OTHER blogs you should check out.
The Amateur Gourmet
I love it because I love food and his blog is accessible to my style of cooking.
Light in Leaves
Anyone who knows Marilyn is going to love her new blog, because instead of showing us (another) picture of her gorgeous kids, she mostly writes. And she's witty and smart, grounded and thought-provoking without being fussy or pretentious. And until recently, I think most of you weren't privvy to great emails from her, like me. See, we're real, real, real close...(bff) And I think if enough people comment on her blog about how badly they want to see her new house, maybe she'll post pictures so we can all be jealous of her. Because, really people, she has a TURQUOISE washer and dryer (front loaders!!!!!!!!!!)
Passive Aggressive Notes
Caution: I've seen MORE THAN ONE swear word on posts here. You've been warned.
P.S. I love it when people send me good blogs. Keep 'em coming!

Seriously So Blessed

I just thought I'd pass on this awesome blog that my sis-in-law Amy sent me.
Pretty Sweet.
http://seriouslysoblessed.blogspot.com/