Your Daily Sweets: What are you making and baking? (2014)

[Kim Shook]

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Kim,

I was inspired by your coconut chocolate pound cake so made these four minis. Dividing up the batter was obviously challenging as one is much more mini than the others.

Those look great, Anna.  I thought that I'd responded to your request for the Blueberry Breakfast cake, but I can see that I didn't.  Here the link for you, and rotuts and Darienne: http://www.recipecircus.com/recipes/Kimberlyn/QuickBreads/Stephanies_Blueberry_B39fast_Cake.html

[Anna N]

Those look great, Anna.  I thought that I'd responded to your request for the Blueberry Breakfast cake, but I can see that I didn't.  Here the link for you, and rotuts and Darienne: http://www.recipecircus.com/recipes/Kimberlyn/QuickBreads/Stephanies_Blueberry_B39fast_Cake.html

Thank you, Kim. Have added the recipe to my list.

[DianaM]

Nut bars for snacks, very loosely based on this recipe: http://powerhungry.com/2011/09/homemade-trio-bars-and-homemade-kind-bars/

[Anna N]

Cheese muffins.

Discussed this week's meeting snacks with son-in-law and cheese muffins it will be. Wanted to do a test run before Wednesday (well that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it). These have 2 ozs each of cheddar and gruyere and 1 oz of parmesan, a good pinch of cayenne. I will freeze them as they will be a perfect accompaniment to soup or salad.

[emmalish]

Cheese muffins.

Discussed this week's meeting snacks with son-in-law and cheese muffins it will be. Wanted to do a test run before Wednesday (well that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it). These have 2 ozs each of cheddar and gruyere and 1 oz of parmesan, a good pinch of cayenne. I will freeze them as they will be a perfect accompaniment to soup or salad.

 

YUM. How are these texture-wise? I have a recipe for apple cheddar muffins that taste fantastic, but every time I make them the texture is tough and bready. It doesn't matter how careful I am not to over mix. I keep meaning to experiment to get that flavour combination in a better muffin. Maybe I could modify these...?

[BeeZee]

Anna N, on 07 Apr 2014 - 12:59 PM, said:

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Cheese muffins.

Discussed this week's meeting snacks with son-in-law and cheese muffins it will be. Wanted to do a test run before Wednesday (well that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it). These have 2 ozs each of cheddar and gruyere and 1 oz of parmesan, a good pinch of cayenne. I will freeze them as they will be a perfect accompaniment to soup or salad.

+Yum

I am hosting an after work meeting at my office next week, what recipe did you use/modify? I'm thinking this would be perfect to use for that group, also.

[Anna N]

YUM. How are these texture-wise? I have a recipe for apple cheddar muffins that taste fantastic, but every time I make them the texture is tough and bready. It doesn't matter how careful I am not to over mix. I keep meaning to experiment to get that flavour combination in a better muffin. Maybe I could modify these...?

These are definitely NOT as light and fluffy as a well-made blueberry muffin, for example. I think it's just the nature of the beast when you add cheese. I wouldn't, however, describe them as tough. I tossed the cheese in with the dry ingredients and used a whisk to blend the dry ingredients, to combine the wet ingredients and to fold them together. I also replaced the milk with powdered milk and water as I rarely have liquid milk in the house. I used paper liners but next time I will just grease the muffin cups to encourage a crispy exterior. Here's the recipe I started from:

http://www.food.com/recipe/cheddar-cheese-muffins-53561

[Anna N]

+Yum

I am hosting an after work meeting at my office next week, what recipe did you use/modify? I'm thinking this would be perfect to use for that group, also.

Here you go

http://www.food.com/recipe/cheddar-cheese-muffins-53561

[Tri2Cook]

Nut bars for snacks, very loosely based on this recipe: http://powerhungry.com/2011/09/homemade-trio-bars-and-homemade-kind-bars/

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Those look good, thanks for posting! I go through a lot of energy bars during cycling season so I'm always on the lookout for recipes. It's already getting into mountain bike weather here and road biking won't be far behind so I'll give these (and some of the other recipes on the site you linked) a try.

 

[emmalish]

These are definitely NOT as light and fluffy as a well-made blueberry muffin, for example. I think it's just the nature of the beast when you add cheese. I wouldn't, however, describe them as tough. I tossed the cheese in with the dry ingredients and used a whisk to blend the dry ingredients, to combine the wet ingredients and to fold them together. I also replaced the milk with powdered milk and water as I rarely have liquid milk in the house. I used paper liners but next time I will just grease the muffin cups to encourage a crispy exterior. Here's the recipe I started from:

http://www.food.com/recipe/cheddar-cheese-muffins-53561

 

Thank you for that!

[DianaM]

Those look good, thanks for posting! I go through a lot of energy bars during cycling season so I'm always on the lookout for recipes. It's already getting into mountain bike weather here and road biking won't be far behind so I'll give these (and some of the other recipes on the site you linked) a try.

You are welcome! I have to add that the yield of the recipe she posted did not fill my 8" pan, at least not to the thickness I wanted. So now when I make it I throw in handfuls of whatever (toasted coconut flakes and chia are my choices lately) and adjust the brown rice syrup to compensate.

[Anna N]

These are the cheese muffins for tomorrow's meeting. I used "orange" cheddar this time, greased the muffin tin rather than using paper liners and upped the oven temp.to 375F. I think they are more tender than my first batch.

[Franci]

I made the nut butter scones from maximum flavor. Something must have gone wrong because the authors defined these scones as light as feather and melt in your mouth, well they didn't turned like that. I used cashew butter and the scones feel pasty. I used a scale and I'm not new at making scones in the food processor. I really like their ideas but I found their recipes to be hit or miss, definitely not foolproof.

[jmacnaughtan]

I made another Coconut Cake, slightly tweaked for a cleaner presentation and, more importantly, more rum.  

 

[Matthew Kirshner]

Made this cake at work the other day, nothing special.  Vanilla Chiffon, with Strawberry Buttercream and with chocolate dipped strawberry décor.  Like I said, nothing special just wanted to share.

 

 

 

[lesliec]

Nothing special, he says!

 

Thing of beauty, Matthew.

[Blether]

And an apple pie.

 

 

Just out the oven:

 

 

... and settling comfortably, like an old house:

 

[Franci]

German Nussecken, didn't deep in chocolate

[emmalish]

German Nussecken, didn't deep in chocolate

 

I don't know what that is, but it looks delicious!

[Franci]

I don't know what that is, but it looks delicious!

I highly recommend them, easy and so good with a cup od coffee. This is very similar to the recipe I followed

http://www.purple-cookie.com/2010/02/nussecken.html if anybody interested.

I'd like to try them with pecans and maple syrup.

Edited April 13, 2014 by Franci (log)

[emmalish]

Thanks for the link, Franci! I've pinned that to try one day. 

[andiesenji]

Yesterday I made a traditional Dundee cake.  No flavoring, no vanilla, no citrus zest, just the favorite "tea" cake of my great grandmother, grandmother and my aunts and great aunts, when I was growing up.

 

I "inherited" this recipe - but "tweaked" it a bit because the original made 3 large cakes.

 

DUNDEE CAKE
1            Cup         Butter
1            Cup         Sugar
4                            EGGS  Large
2 1/2      Cups       Flour    All-purpose
2/3          tsp         Salt
1 1/2       tsp         Baking Powder
1            Cup        Sultanas - golden raisins
3/4         Cup         Mixed Peel
1/2         Cup         Currants   (Zante)
1/2         Cup         Milk            
2            TBS        Sliced Almonds

Method:
Grease and flour an 8 inch cake pan or line it with parchment paper.
(I now use the disposable paper baking molds, 8 inch round, which do a beautiful job - they are available from Amazon.)  You can also use smaller pans or molds for a taller cake - or use a loaf pan or pans.  

Preheat your oven to 325°F.

Use a medium-large bowl - 2 quarts or larger.
Cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy.
Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat the mixture until all are blended in and the batter is smooth.
Sift the flour, salt and baking powder together
Add the sultanas, mixed peel and currants to the flour and toss to coat the pieces and make sure they are not clumped together.  (They are not traditional, but dried cranberries are lovely in this cake.)

Add this to the batter, 1/3 at a time, stirring well until blended before adding more.
Add the milk and stir in well.
The batter should be fairly stiff but if it appears too stiff, or dry and "ragged"
add 1 or 2 additional tablespoons of milk, blending well after each addition.  

Transfer the batter to the cake pan, spread to edges and level the top.
Sprinkle on the sliced almonds.
Place on center rack in pre-heated oven and set timer for 80 minutes.
At the end of this time check for doneness with a "cake tester" or better yet, a probe thermometer - the finished temp should be 205°F.  
Remove from oven, place pan on cooling rack for 50 minutes.

Invert onto one plate and then turn it again so it is right-side up on your serving plate.  If using the paper mold, just strip off the sides and transfer to your plate.
Lightly sift powdered sugar over the top after the cake has fully cooled.

 

 

 

 

[Kerry Beal]

Yum!

[janeer]

Looks delish. I love traditional cakes like this.

[caroled]

andiesenji,

 That looks fabulous and I have everything in house at the moment but the mixed peel. How much different would it taste if it were omitted, or could you recommend a substitute to balance the flavors??  I do have some fresh limes and lemons, but no candied rinds. ( Do have candied ginger)    Could any of these be subbed??