I guess that I fall in the unpredictable blogger.  Life has been so busy I have forgotten to blog.  In the description of the blog I said that it would mainly be about baking but with whatever I liked thrown in.

So, today's post is about the other things that have kept me busy in the last 4 months.

I participated in the Bernat Mystery Knit-A-Long.  Here is the link

http://www.bernat.com/2012mysteryafghan/

I had a blast doing this afghan.  I truly enjoyed the challenge of learning the new clues.  It was the first time that I worked with Bernat Waverly.  I am in love.  It is fabulous to work with.  I used A - Incense, B - Bitter Rose, C - Sundrift, D - Butter, E - Willow I love the colour palette.

I can't wait until next year's KAL.  I might try the Crochet a long if I find I have extra time :)


My list of projects for this year included a sweater for myself (done, just needs buttons), the KAL (done - see above), 2 baby blankets and an afghan for my DD.  


Here is 1 of the 2 baby blankets.

Here is the Pattern for "Twinkle Little Blanket'


http://www.bernat.com/pattern.php?PID=170

I used  Bernat Baby Co-ordinates - MC - Lemon Custard A - Soft Torquoise B - Aqua/Lemon. It was a new experience for me to work with a chart.  It was a bit of a challenge but once I got it, it was fairly easy.


My current project is "Lace Border Blanket"


http://www.bernat.com/pattern.php?PID=1743

Yes, there is a Bernat trend but it is a coincidence.  I am making this blanket out of Bernat Baby Softee - Can't find the colour name but it is a variegated yarn with pink, orange, green and white.  I will hopefully be done it quickly as the little girl who will be receiving is seems eager to make her appearance early.

I have still been doing my normally baking but what I wanted to show today was some of the other projects that I love to do.

Do you do more than baking?  What crafts do you like to do?  Leave a comment and let me know

~ Shay

Valentines Day

Wow it has been 2 months since my last post.  Sorry about that!

I didn't go all out for Valentine's Day.  I made some brownies which my family enjoyed.  I don't make brownies often but I don't really know why.  And truthfully I made a boxed mix.  It had real chocolate chips in it which made it even more yummy.

I made a Cherry Cola Chocolate cake for my DH birthday.  I am bad about getting pictures posted.  I did a very basic traditional icing job on it.  (the Knife swirl).  Here is the link to the original recipe which was for Cupcakes but I wanted to make it as a cake.  Wasn't a difficult transition.

The big difference, obviously, was that I baked it in a 3" pan instead of cupcake liners and tin.  I also used the cherry pie filling between the layers of cake.

http://passthesushi.com/cherry-coke-float-cupcakes

I didn't make the glaze and iced it with Buttercream icing.  I think it would have been a nice touch if I had added strawberry flavouring, to the icing.  Strawberry flavouring is now on my shopping list :)

I was gifted 3 boxes of different flavours so I am going to attempt to use them.  So I should have some interesting cakes coming out in the next few month.

On my list of cakes that I want to make is a Neapolitan 5 Layer cake.  Once I have tried it I will post the recipe.  


~ Shay ~

Chocolate Buttermilk cake - again

It isn't difficult to figure out my favourite Chocolate cake recipe.  It works every time and taste delicious!  For my son's 16th birthday (how did that happen?!!?) he requested my Chocolate cake.  I decided to go all out on chocolate.  Chocolate cake, Chocolate Buttercream and Chocolate fondant.  I filled the cake with Cherry pie filling.  My son loved it.    He didn't have a specific request for the design so I kept the design simple with a bow.

Do you have a favourite cake recipe?

~ Shay

Mint Chocolate Cupcakes

I have a Christmas Potluck to go tonight. I decided to make Mint Chocolate Cupcakes with Mint Chocolate Buttercream icing. Yummy.

Here is the recipe

Mint Chocolate Cupcakes

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
1/3 cup cocoa powder
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3 1oz
squares of chocolate - melted
Grease baking pan; set aside. In a medium bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking soda and salt; set aside.

In a medium saucepan combine butter, cocoa powder, and 1 cup water. Bring mixture just to boiling, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add the cocoa mixture to flour mixture and beat with an electric mixer on medium to high speed until thoroughly combined. Add eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla. Beat for 1 minute. Pour batter into cupcake liners about 2/3 filled.


Bake in a 350 oven about 20 minutes, or until wooden toothpick comes out clean.

Place cake in pan on wire rack; cool thoroughly.

Mint Chocolate Buttercream Icing

1/2 Cup Solid White Vegetable Shortening
1/2 Cup Butter
1 Teaspoon Peppermint flavouring
7 tsps water
1 lb. pure cane confectioners sugar (Apx. 4 cups unsifted)
1 Tablespoon Wilton Meringue Powder



* Cream shortening, flavoring and water.
* Add dry ingredients and mix on medium speed until all ingredients have been thoroughly mixed together. Add melted chocolate
* Blend an additional minute or so until creamy.

I am going to add crushed candy canes on the top of each cupcake.

Where have I been?!?

I have done a lot of baking since I last posted.  I have baked Candy Corn shaped sugar cookies, for Halloween, Smore's Cookies for a bake sale and a delicious Pumpkin cake.  I will have to look for the recipes so that I can share them.  I have pictures of the Sugar Cookes and the Smore's cookies. 

I am spending today baking as well.  It seems like I mainly bake on Tuesdays and Fridays.  Today I have made Pizza Muffins, I have a yummy Pound Cake in the oven now and I am planning on making Pecan Pie muffins as well.

Here is the Pound Cake Recipe.  The recipe is from my Best Friend, Jennifer W.  Thanks so much, Jennifer.  This recipe will make my darling husband very happy!

Pound cake

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

¼ cup shortening

¼ cup butter, softened

¾ cup milk

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla (I used 1 tsp of Princess flavouring instead)

½ tsp salt

2 eggs

Heat oven to 350F. Grease and flour two 8 ½ x4 ½ “ loaf pans or one 9x5x3” loaf pan. Beat all ingredients together in a large bowl on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high speed 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.  Pour into pan(s). Bake larger pan for 60 to 65 minutes, smaller pans for 30 to 35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes, remove from pan(s).

Enjoy! It’s even better the next day – this is a pretty dense cake. Yum!

The Pecan Pie Muffins are from

http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/breads/pecan-pie-muffins-6/

• 1 cup Packed Light Brown Sugar
• ½ cups All-purpose Flour
• 1 cup Chopped Pecans
• ⅔ cups Softened Butter
• 2 whole Eggs Beaten

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven 350 F.
Grease your muffin pan (whatever size).
In a medium bowl, stir together brown sugar, flour and pecans. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and eggs together until smooth. Stir into the dry ingredients just until combined. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Cups should be about 2/3 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on wire racks when done.
Option: when you take them out of the oven, place a slice of butter on top and eat warm.

I would normally double this recipe.  Who makes 8 muffins?!?!?  But I don't have enough pecans!

We had these at the Cottage on the Thanksgiving weekend for Breakfast.  They were snapped up!!

~ Shay ~

Sugar Cookie Recipe

Here is the Sugar Cookie recipe I used.  It is a pretty traditional recipe.  I tripled the original recipe because I was mixing it up in my Kitchen Aid

1c. butter softened
1c. shortening
2 1/2c sugar
3 tsp baking powder
dash of salt
3 eggs
3 tsp vanilla
6 c. flour

Cream butter and shortening.  Add sugar, baking powder and salt.  Beat until combined.  Add in eggs and vanilla. Beat in flour.  Add 1 cup at a time.

divide dough into 4 or 5 balls.  Roll out between 2 pieces of wax or parchment paper.  Place on Cookie sheet and place in fridge.  Chill till firm an hour or so.

Pre heat oven to 375F

Cut out desired shapes and transfer to parchment paper lined baking sheet or stone.  Must admit my preference at this point is a stone.

Bake for 7-9 minutes.  Time will vary based on the size of the cookie.  Cookies should be firm at the edges and the bottom just lightly brown.

Transfer to cooling rack and let cool completely before decorating.

I am hoping to do some cookie decorating today with a cookie glaze.  It works as well as Royal icing but is stays soft.  I am hoping to decorating Princess crowns and wands as well as some Airplanes. 

Star Wars cookies

My husband and youngest son are attending the Dorchester International Cub Camp in Dorchester ON., this weekend.  There is a new theme every year and this year the theme is Star Wars.  So of course I had to pull out some of the Star Wars bake wear I have been given.  I have a wonderful friend who picked me up the Star Wars Sandwich cutters.  They work wonderfully as cookie cutters!

 

I used a Basic Sugar Cookie recipe.  The best tip I have ever heard about sugar cookies is - "before you chill the dough roll it out between two sheets of wax paper or parchment paper. Then chill."  It makes it so much easier to roll out the dough!

I would have loved to have the Star Wars cookie cutter.  They impress into the cookie.  Which I would love to use on Fondant! I decided to keep the icing simple.  Don't want to sugar up the Cubs at Mug Up!  I used Chocolate Buttercream to outline the ships

The taste tasters enjoyed the cookies. 

Do you have a favourite Sugar cookie recipe?  Are you willing to share?

~Shay~