Mmmmm, cake

Back in April I bookmarked Heidi Kenney's campfire cake because I had a feeling Sam would love it for his birthday. And when he said he wanted to have a camping sleepover party it was the only choice.

Oh my gosh, did I have fun making this cake. The center filling is dulce de leche, made by boiling an unopened can of sweetened condensed milk for three hours. There are no words- heavenly! Sam and I picked the chocolate cake recipe from one of my cookbooks; it was a not-quite flourless cake (only 1/4 c) and was just chocolaty and delicious. The fudge style frosting was also delicious.

Damn. Wish I had a slice now.

Preparations

Best Cake Ever. Really. Aunt Rose's Pound Cake


mmm butter and cream cheese



is this not the most beautiful cake batter you've ever seen? You add the dry ingredients to the butter and cream cheese mixture, and then the eggs. As you add the eggs it turns into this beautiful, silky, yellow batter.



cooling in the pan



ready for the oneg after services on Friday night

I should have snapped some pictures of the challah, but by the time I finished braiding the loaves I really needed to go outside and sit under the stars. I'll take a snap later.

How to Cure a Tantrum

Make cookies!

Mini Black and White Cookies, Weight Watchers style

• 2 sprays cooking spray
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 cup sugar, granulated
• 2 large egg(s)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp table salt
• 2/3 cup fat-free skim milk
• 3 large egg white(s)
• 2 cup powdered sugar, divided
• 1/4 cup water, boiling, or more if necessary, divided
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat 2 cookie sheets with cooking spray or cover with parchment paper. (I used a silpat instead)
  
  
• Beat butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl, using an electric mixer, until light and fluffy. Add whole eggs, one at a time, and incorporate with mixer; blend in 1 teaspoon of vanilla and lemon zest.
  
  
• Mix together flour, baking powder and salt in a separate medium bowl.
  
  
• Add half of flour mixture to butter mixture; add milk and beat well. Add remaining flour mixture and beat well.
  
  
• Whip egg whites in a medium bowl, with a wire whisk, until soft peaks form; gently fold egg whites into cookie batter.
  
  
• Drop batter by heaping teaspoons onto cookie sheets; batter should remain in high mounds. Make sure to leave at least 2-inches of space between each mound of batter.
  
  
• Bake cookies until edges turn slightly brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on cookie sheets for 1 to 2 minutes; move to wire racks and allow to cool completely.
  
  
• Meanwhile, to make vanilla icing, combine 1 cup of powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of boiling water and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla in a medium bowl; beat until smooth. Using a pastry brush or flexible spatula, paint half of each cooled cookie with vanilla icing. (NOTE: Make sure to ice the flat side of each cookie. You should always use the vanilla icing first)
  
  
• To make chocolate icing, combine remaining cup of powdered sugar, cocoa and 2 tablespoons of boiling water in a medium bowl; beat until smooth. Add a little more water, a teaspoon at a time, if icing is too dry. Using the same brush or spatula, paint the second half of the flat side of each cookie. Allow icing to dry completely before serving. Yields 2 cookies per serving.

I probably could have added more powdered sugar to my icing, to make it thicker. Next time. The cookies have a great taste.

Seeds of inspiration

About a month ago, Susan at West Coast Crafty posted about a book that inspired her in childhood. I too had a set of Childcraft's How and Why Library, and like Susan, the Make and Do volume stole my heart. After Susan posted about it I looked on ebay for a copy, but abstained from purchasing because I couldn't find the Make and Do volume for sale on it's own in the edition that I had as a child. I didn't buy one in April, but knew I'd keep looking.

On Friday I had a few minutes before I needed to pick up the children from school. I went to the local Salvation Army thrift shop. I'm always envious of folks who seem to find the most amazing things when they go thrifting. I've never been so lucky, until last week. I slowly made my way around the store. When I got to the book corner I looked down into a box...which held the Childcraft How and Why Library! It wasn't the edition I had as a kid, but I didn't care. I eagerly snatched up the Make and Do volume. Reader, I paid 50 cents for it! I took it home and looked through it- despite being about ten years younger than the one I had as a kid it is exactly the same.

My heart stopped a second when I got to this page



I stared at this photo for hours as a kid. My mother was not crafty--oh how I yearned to sew this outfit for my dolls! When I told my mother and sister about my book find and my reaction to this page, they both said the same thing "now you can!" And I will ; )

When I was a little girl I always had my nose in a book. Make and Do was one I looked at for hours on end. Another was Betty Crocker's New Boys and Girls Cook Book. Just this afternoon I was reflecting on the impact that these two books had on my childhood and my life. I love cooking, baking, and crafting. And I love doing those things with my children. These two late 1960s books were hand-me-downs from my dad's cousin. I wonder if I would be a different person if these books were not given to me? Who knows. Right now I'm just enjoying my books, and loving sharing these books with my kids.

Photography Thursday: Find

Create a Connection: Photography Thursday

Last night I found the time to do something I've wanted to do since I saw the recipe; I took the time to bake a loaf of the No-Knead Bread published in the NY Times a few months ago. Yes, I know, the beauty of the no-knead bread is that you don't need a lot of time! However, as other mothers can attest, sometimes the things that should be the easiest to accomplish are the most difficult. Least of all actually finding the time to do something for themselves.

Oh, and the bread is delicious!

So. Many. Thoughts

My mind is just swimming with ideas for posting- it has just paralyzed me today. I've been on the verge of starting to write and then more ideas have come flooding. I'm trying to jot them down so that I'll have a list to refer to on days when I'm stumped. I always do have ideas for articles and things in my head, my problem is that I don't take the time to write them down. So I'm glad to have NaBloPoMo to give me some discipline in that direction.

So, today I'll write about bread and bread making. And creativity. I baked some lovely bread yesterday. I wasn't sure it was going to come together, it was very sticky, very loose. I poured it out on my counter with a bunch more flour and it started to take shape. I was still a bit skeptical; the dough was nothing like the challah I've been baking lately. Yet it rose beautifully; I divided it and put it in pans. When it was ready the whole family got together for the warm bread and melting butter (well, melting Smart Balance). It was delicious! It was a really wonderful bread, I only hope I can come close to duplicating it.

I did not learn bread making from my mother (I don't think she's ever used yeast at all), and my first attempts at challah were just awful; nothing like the soft yellowy goodness of my childhood. I decided to try again after my children were born. I'm not sure exactly how it happened, but I can do it. It is delicious, and actually resembles challah! *gasp*

I love when the dough transforms. The moment the raw goods transform into bread dough- just miraculous. The soft, baby's bottom feel of the dough. Watching it rise, and turn into bread in the oven. I love turning 'nothing' into 'something.' I was thinking about this recently and realized that this is true of many of the activities that make me feel the best- baking, sewing, scrapbooking, and even writing.

In addition to creating something from nothing, I think these creative acts make me feel good because they are also acts of love.