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

[Matthew Kirshner]

Do you have a picture of a slice?

Unfortantly no, she did tell me the cake was gone in two seconds.  I usually dont take pictures of slices.  Dont know why!

[Kerry Beal]

Those who know me realize I'm not into overt displays of just about anything - but I have to say that I feel very blessed to have found the friends and acquaintances I have through eG.

 

Today as I was about to head on my way to work I got a text from Alleguede asking when I'd be leaving the house - so in the end we met on the side of the road between home and work and I was presented with this fabulous Bûche de Noël.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

I insisted the nurses wait to break into it until after I got pictures - they kept nagging me to get the pictures taken!

 

It was quiet for a minute - then the groans of delight began!  It is absolutely delicious - dare I say yummy!

 

Yes indeed I am blessed!

[pjm333]

Butterscotch Pudding !

[JohnT]

pjm333, those really look good! To get a bit of perspective, what are the size of your "jars"? John.

[pjm333]

Thank you John, They are 3 1/2 " high !

[Jim D.]

pjm333:

Could you tell us what the squares on top of the pudding are and how they are made?  Thanks.

[keychris]

Jim, I reckon those are tiles like those that you're pretty damn good at now

[Jim D.]

Jim, I reckon those are tiles like those that you're pretty damn good at now

That's why I posted, as pjm333 seems to have the technique down, and I'm always looking for tips!  I think I will try the squares to top off dipped chocolates, where gravity--or the curvature of a cake--would not be an issue.

[Shelby]

I decided it was time to open and try one of the quarts of peaches that I canned this summer.  I used a recipe from one of my favorite blogs....Sweetteaandcornbread.

 

It's called Peaches and Cream Pie.  It truly does taste like peaches and cream.  A bit of summer on a plate on this cold winter day.  

 

 

[CatPoet]

 

Peanut cookies dipped in chocolate are now on the way to a friend, I hope he loves them.

[ChocoMom]

 

Peanut cookies dipped in chocolate are now on the way to a friend, I hope he loves them.

Ummmm.....those look delectable!!!!  Can be your friend??  Pretty please????     There's no way anyone could not love them! 

[CatPoet]

Shelby the crust looks like the crust I want for my apple pie, recipe please!! Does it cover the bottom too?

 

Chocomom, the recipe is so easy  I cup all natural peanut butter  ( non sweetened) , 1 cup of sugar, 1 large whisked egg.    I use this recipe  minus the salt on top, I add a pinch of salt to the mix. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/claire-robinson/flourless-peanut-butter-cookies-recipe.html

Edited December 29, 2014 by CatPoet (log)

[Shelby]

Shelby the crust looks like the crust I want for my apple pie, recipe please!! Does it cover the bottom too?

 

Chocomom, the recipe is so easy  I cup all natural peanut butter  ( non sweetened) , 1 cup of sugar, 1 large whisked egg.    I use this recipe  minus the salt on top, I add a pinch of salt to the mix. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/claire-robinson/flourless-peanut-butter-cookies-recipe.html

It is a different sort of "crust" on the top.  It's kind of custardy but the top is crunchy and light --like sugar.  The bottom is just a regular pie crust.  It took about an hour and 20 mins for my pie to get done, but my oven runs cold.  

 

Here is a link to the recipe:

http://sweetteaandcornbread.blogspot.com/2012/05/peaches-and-cream-pie.html

[David Ross]

I rarely post here, mainly because I'm the once a year candy maker and the stuff I send to family and friends pales in comparison to some of the beautiful confections I see showcased here.  But I do visit regularly to learn from all of you.  This is what I call almond butter crunch--

basically a deconstructed home version of Almond Roca.

 

[Kerry Beal]

Looks pretty lovely to me David.

[Smithy]

David, if that tastes as good as it looks I'd be pleased to be in the same room with it, and it would not stay on the serving plate for long. Would you care to share the recipe?

[David Ross]

Looks pretty lovely to me David.

I could also call it "Jackson Pollock's ode to Toffee."

[CatPoet]

I just  made a  type of truffle cake with  dulce de leche  and chocolate ganache and gave to my neighbour for theirs new years eve.

[pjm333]

Jim

   The squares are tempered chocolate, I put melted colored cocoa butter blue green etc on acetate sheet and let it set the pour tempered chocolate over. Let the chocolate almost set the cut out squares or any shape. 

Patrick

[FrogPrincesse]

One of my favorites desserts during the holiday season, Matt Rowley's Harold and Maude-inspired ginger pie. The crispy top is wonderful and the flavor of ginger pretty incredible. With the texture and taste of the pie, it almost feels like it contains shredded coconut. I used Barbancourt 5 Star for the rum.

 

 

 

Edited December 30, 2014 by FrogPrincesse (log)

[Kerry Beal]

That looks wonderful - and an excellent excuse to watch my copy of Harold and Maude.

[Kim Shook]

Matthew K – lovely cake and it sounds delicious!

 

Shelby – I’m sitting in a house overflowing with cookies and candies and all kinds of goodies and I’d give them all up for a slice of that peach pie!

 

David – that almond butter crunch is gorgeous!  Your friends are very lucky folks.

 

FrogPrincesse - I am making that ginger pie for Mr. Kim as soon as all the sweets in our house are gone.  He is crazy for ginger.  Thanks for posting a link!

 

 

This year’s Christmas sweets – not much new.  Not sure if I even need to post all of this, since so much is exactly what I posted last year! 

 

Darienne’s incredible toffee:

Toffee is one of my favorite candies. When I read that Darienne had an Engstrom’s copy-cat recipe that she was happy with, I requested the recipe. She was kind enough to give it to me and it is fantastic. The recipe is extremely easy to make and to manage.

 

Cooky platter:

Just my standards - sugar cookies, my peanut butter cookies and Dream cookies (a simple butter cooky).

 

Gluten free sugar cookies for a niece:

 

Sponge candy:

Matthew gets a thank you for helping me to perfect my sponge.  I have had some trouble in the past few years with burning half my batches and with the lack of consistency in the texture.  He gave me a Greweling recipe that he has used and by using that method with my ingredients, I was able to make my sponge properly every time.  Thank you, again, Matthew!

 

Happy Accident candy:

All the leftover crumbs from breaking up the sponge candy mixed with melted chocolate (hence: Happy Accident – it was one of those ‘aha’ moments years ago).  I was VERY happy with my tempering this year.  I found an article online called “The Elements of Chocolate” that was very informative.  I don’t know that it would work for large chocolate making, but for the small amounts that I needed it was perfect.  You melt the chocolate VERY slowly, trying not to get above 94 degrees F, seed it with a little chopped chocolate and use it.  I melted in the microwave and set the bowl on a heating pad set at 100 degrees F while stirring.  This candy was a week old before I took the picture and it still looks pretty good, I think. 

 

Iced almonds with sea salt and those Rolo/pretzel candies:

 

Peanut brittle:

 

Two different fudges:

Reeses Cup fudge on the left and my Aunt San’s fudge on the right.

 

Lemon chess tarts:

The best I’ve ever made.  A British friend said that they were every bit as good as English lemon curd tarts. 

 

There were supposed to be mincemeat tarts, too.  Momma said she would bring those, but they never appeared!

Edited December 30, 2014 by Kim Shook (log)

[David Ross]

Here's the recipe for the Almond Butter Crunch-

 

2 cups unsalted butter

2 cups granulated sugar

4 tbsp. water

4 tbsp. light corn syrup

 

3/4 cup slivered almonds

3/4 cup sliced almonds

 

12oz. milk chocolate

Coarse sea salt

 

Line two baking trays with parchment paper, then lightly spray the parchment with non-stick cooking spray.

 

Heat the oven to 400.  Spread the slivered almonds over a separate baking tray.  Spread the sliced almonds over a separate baking tray.

Toast the almonds in the oven until they just start to brown, about 12 minutes.

 

Melt the butter in a deep saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the sugar, water and corn syrup.  Now you have to be patient and let the candy mixture cook.  Don't increase the heat as the candy may burn.  You'll need to use a candy thermometer and let the candy cook to the hard crack stage at 305.  Once it reaches 305, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the slivered almonds then immediately pour the candy onto the parchment lined baking trays.  You should have enough candy to cover 1 full tray and then 1/2 of a second tray.  Let the candy cool completely.

 

Once the candy is cooled, sprinkle the sliced almonds over the top of the candy.  I'm not experienced with melting chocolate, so I use the easy way out and melt it in the microwave just to the point of consistency where I can drizzle the chocolate over the candy and almonds.  I use a wire whisk dipped in the chocolate to create the mixed pattern over the candy.  Certainly not something you'd probably learn in confectionary school but it seems to work o.k. The chocolate basically works as a glue to adhere the almonds.  Sprinkle the candy with coarse sea salt. Let the chocolate cool and harden before wrapping and packaging. 

[ChocoMom]

Shelby:

That crust was AMAZING!!! I didn't have any peaches, so I tried it on some blueberries we picked this summer. I just dumped a generous quart of frozen blueberries into each crust, poured a double batch of batter over them, and Voila! Our cozy little dinner party for 17 was begging for seconds!!!!

Thank you so much for posting that! Much appreciated!!! Andrea

Moderator's note: Happy New Year! This delicious topic continues in Your Daily Sweets: What Are You Making and Baking? (2015)

Edited January 3, 2015 by Smithy (log)