I recently joined a women’s bible study group, and we’ve been discussing Courageous Women of the Bible by LaTan Roland Murphy. Although I’m only three chapters into the book, I am consistently in awe by how Murphy puts the readers in biblical women’s shoes. I have a much deeper understanding of each woman’s trials and the courage they received from God to move forward.
“Do you have a talent you have been withholding: a beautiful voice, a servant heart, the gift of teaching, speaking, or writing? Whatever God has given you, give all of it back to Him as an act of worship.” This passage really spoke to me. How many of us fail to embrace our talents? I honestly feel that in many ways I’m squandering my gift. My pastries offer a chance for people to indulge in sweet treats; however, once they congregate around the plate of food, something much more important happens- people start conversing with one another. This is the primary reason why I love baking – it brings people together. For this reason, I want to bake regularly to encourage this fellowship among friends and colleagues.
Now onto my latest bake – chocolate almond biscotti. After reading from the aforementioned book, I was inspired to make something new. Assessing what I had in stock, biscotti was the best choice.
I love having the crunchy cookie with a good cup of coffee in cafes, and I thought my colleagues would appreciate a similar experience.
The New York Times has a wonderful selection of recipes, and their chocolate biscotti caught my eye. I modified the recipes slightly to give more texture to the cookie. Instead of adding a teaspoon of espresso I added almond extract. Additionally, I tossed in about 1/2 cup chocolate chips and a little less than a 1/2 cup almond slices.
Since I finished making the dough around 8:30 pm, I stored it in a bowl with saran wrap in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, I formed the dough into two 1.5 inch wide logs and followed the baking instructions. Roughly 1.5 hours later I had beautiful biscotti that tasted similar to brownie brittle.
My colleagues were elated to have the delicious treats! They spent 10 minutes learning about each other’s weekends and joking around while nibbling on biscotti. Although it was just a small portion of their day, I like to think that they felt happier and had a stronger connection to one another afterwards.
I’ve been baking consistently for about six years and I find myself making the same treats over and over again. While practice makes perfect, I started getting bored of making cheesecake, cinnamon rolls, and cupcakes all the time.
To remedy my ennui, I emailed close friends to solicit their favorite desserts. Perhaps they love a dessert that I haven’t tried yet. To show my appreciation for their suggestions, I gave them a sample of what I made.
One friend immediately wrote back saying his favorite dessert was French macarons. Finally a challenge!
As seasoned bakers know, it is vital to conduct research prior to making something new. It saves both time and ingredients.
I scoured the Internet, reading multiple recipes and watching various videos to learn how to make these tricky cookies. Afterwards, I decided that Beth’s Foolproof French Macarons tutorial was the best recipe to follow. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJ636Y8N6E8) Beth gave me the directions necessary to ensure my macarons had feet on the first try!
French Macarons
3 egg whites at room temperature
¼ cup white granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
2 cups confectioners’ sugar (200 g)
1 cup almond flour (120 g)
Gel food coloring (optional)
French macarons are a finicky cookie that require a keen eye and patience.
Start by whipping your room temperature egg whites until they’re foamy, then add salt, cream of tartar and white sugar. Whip until they form a peak that stands upright.
Then add the gel food coloring. Add more than you think you need since the color fades in the cooking process.
Sift almond flour and powder sugar. Fold the flour/sugar mixture into the egg white mixture until is like lava slowly falling off the spatula. If you under-mix, your cookies will crack. If you over mix, they won’t have feet (the little ridges on the bottom of the cookie that indicate a successful bake).
Pipe dollops of batter of the same size on parchment paper. Bang the tray on the counter to release any air bubbles, and then let the tray rest for at least 20 minutes so the batter is tacky to the touch.
Put the tray in a pre-heated 300 degree F oven. Bake for 20 minutes. Afterwards, let the cookies cool completely before sandwiching them together with jelly or buttercream.
Last November, I took my first solo trip. After a string of bad luck including dealing with an attempted break-in to my apartment and minor heartbreak, I decided to take a respite from life in DC. Bringing up Google flights, I searched for the cheapest upcoming flights to relatively safe major cities. Seattle was the winner at only $290 for a round trip without layovers!
Next I had to secure housing. While hotels offer many amenities, I needed more budget friendly accommodations. Thus, I found a place on Airbnb that had good reviews, including some from women who also took unaccompanied trips to the Pacific Northwest.
I went to the Space Needle, Chihuly Garden, the International District, Public Market and paid respects to Bruce Lee. I took back to DC not only indelible memories, I also a new recipe!
Admiring the Space Needle at Kerry Park Lookout Point
Next I had to secure housing. While hotels offer many amenities, I needed more budget friendly accommodations. Thus, I found a place on AirBnb that had good reviews, including some from women who also took unaccompanied trips to the Pacific Northwest.
I went to the Space Needle, Chuhuly Garden, the International District, Public Market and paid respects to Bruce Lee. Not only did I take back to DC with me indelible memories, I also got a new recipe!
Every morning, the Airbnb host offered guests freshly baked scones with jam. Vanilla almond scones, buttery scones with strawberry jam, lemon scones with raspberry jam, and more! These scones were not the typical dense biscuits, instead they were very buttery and flaky. I audibly groaned in pleasure when I took an initial bite on my first morning in Seattle. Thankfully they made a huge batch, so I was able to take two (let me be honest, three) scones.
I knew I had to get the recipe before I left. The host received the request multiple times, so she had copies on it on hand for guests! It was a modified version of Ina Garten’s scones!
When I got home, I recreated the scones for my colleagues. I was amazed by how quick and easy it was to make them!
Below is the base of the scones. Feel free to add dried fruit, nuts, vanilla, or citrus zest to bring more flavor or texture to the scones.
I hope you loves these scones as much as I do!
4 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
1.5 sticks unsalted butter
1 cup whole milk
3 extra large eggs
extras
sliced almonds, dried cherries, 1 teaspoon vanilla, dark chocolate, zest or orange or lemon, dried blueberries, etc
Combine the dry ingredients. Cut the cold butter into small cubes and then mix them into the flour just until it’s the size of small peas, which is roughly for 1 minute in a standing mixer. Do not over mix. Whisk the 3 eggs and then add a cup of milk. Add the milk and egg mixture. It will be a wet dough, so mix just until combined.
Move the dough onto a floured surface. Fold and flatten the dough a few times so it will have a nice rise. Cut the 1/2 inch tall dough into triangular or circular shapes. Put the dough onto a parchment lined baking pan and place it into a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. The scones are done once they have a golden top.
I love brushing melted butter on the freshly baked scones. Afterwards, I’ll drizzle on a simple glaze consisting of milk, powder sugar and vanilla or citrus juice.
Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. When my parents would treat me to breakfast at a local eatery, I would always order biscuits. There is nothing better than having a buttery biscuit slathered with jam, honey, or sausage gravy.
This recipe is easy and makes heavenly biscuits. I followed this recipe step-by-step to produce delicious biscuits with a perfect rise: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1013741-all-purpose-biscuits
To help a good friend properly celebrate her birthday, I made some yellow cupcakes with fun decorations.
Box cake mixes are usually of high quality and save loads of time, so I used the Duncan Hines’ Butter Recipe Cake Mix to make the batter. The cupcakes only took 18 minutes to bake to perfection in a 350 degree oven. As the cupcakes cooled, I whipped Rich’s Vanilla Bettercreme until it formed a soft peak, which took about 10 to 15 minutes on medium speed. After piping on the frosting, I transformed the plain cupcakes into gorgeous delicacies by drizzling on chocolate ganache and caramel as well as sprinkling on colorful metallic edible pearls.
I am pleased to report that my friend enjoyed the cupcakes so much that she kept them all for herself.
It is the season for a piping hot cup of tea or fall inspired flavored coffee like pumpkin spice. A great complement to any warm beverage is a flaky pastry. My preferred treat is a twist on the classic scone, adding layers of flavor with orange zest and dried cranberries. A light drizzle of orange frosting over the scones provides a hint of sweetness.
Ingredients
2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup frozen butter, grated
1 heaping teaspoon orange zest
1/2 cup cranberries
1 egg
1/2 cup sour cream
Mixed the dry ingredients together. Add the grated butter and mixed with your hands until crumbly. Incorporate the orange zest and cranberries. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream and egg. Pour mixture into the dry ingredients and stir with a fork. Use you hands to bring the dough together. Flatten dough onto a floured surface until its about 1/2 inch thick and round. Slice into 8 equal parts and place it on a pan lined with parchment paper. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 18 minutes.
As the scones cool on a wired rack, whisk together about a 1/2 cup of powder sugar, a tablespoon or two of fresh orange juice, and a dash of vegetable oil. Drizzle the frosting over the scones. Enjoy!
The interim preacher at my church enlisted me to make desserts for the family movie night. I happily obliged because I wanted to try out a new recipe — lemon blueberry loaf. The dessert turned out much prettier than I had imagined. Yum!
Living in a major city means that everyone’s schedule is hectic and demanding. Figuring out a day that works for both parties requires making plans a month in advance, and even then they can fall through with a last minute work assignment or social conflict. In order to stay connected with my fellow city dwellers, I host large brunches or dinners every 3 to 6 months, inviting about 70 friends with hopes that at least 50% will RSVP. Since my friends love me, I generally get about 40 people who attend. There’s so much preparation, cooking, and baking to be done!
My cheesecake is quite popular, but since I have a number of baked goods to make within the few hours between after work and sleep, I usually opt to make cheesecake cupcakes, which only take 20 minutes to bake instead of the usual 50 minutes for a springform pan cheesecake. These cupcakes are so easy to make and feed 24 people. The best part is that even if the cupcakes have cracks in them, the cream cheese mousse covers up the imperfections. To make them look even fancier, garnish them with a piece of oreo cookie.
Ingredients
4 bricks cream cheese, divided
1 cup sugar, divided
~40 oreos crushes
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon whole milk
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
1 container of cool whip
Oven temperature 350 degrees F.
Remove cream filling from 30 oreo cookies. Crush the cookies and then add melted butter to the mixture. Spoon a tablespoon of cookie crumbs into the bottom of each lined cupcake tin. Afterwards, crush the remaining cookies, including the cream, in a baggie for later use.
Use an electric mixer to whisk 3 cream cheese bricks and 3/4 cups sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, creaming the mixture. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Afterwards, spoon in the milk to make the cupcakes even lighter. Gently fold in the crushed oreo cookies.
Put batter into cupcake tins. Bake for 20 minutes.
While the cupcakes are cooling, whisk the remaining cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until fluffy. Whisk in cool whip. Put mousse into pipping bag.
Once the cupcakes are fully cool, pipe the mousse onto the cupcakes and then garnish with a slice of oreo cookie. Enjoy!
I’ve tried a number of different yeast roll recipes, and I can confidently tell you that this is the best. I found it on my favorite website for dessert recipes – Allrecipes.com. This 90-minute cinnamon rolls recipe will produce up to 12 gooey rolls that will electrify the palate. I made some small modifications to the recipe.
As for the frosting, this sweet topping will make the rolls even better. Use one-third a cream cheese brick at room temperature (important!) that should be creamed until fluffy. Add a 1/2 cup of powder sugar and then a tablespoon of whole milk, creaming the mixture and then repeating the process until it turns into a sweet glaze. Add a dash of vanilla to finish it off.
Enjoy.
Ingredients
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 (.25 ounce) package instant yeast
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water
1 egg
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup margarine, softened
Frosting
2.5 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
3 tablespoons whole milk
1 1/2 cups powder sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Heat the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Mix in butter; stir until melted. Let cool until lukewarm.
At the same time, mix the yeast and lukewarm water together and set it aside to activate.
In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 1/4 cup flour, sugar and salt; mix well. Add water and yeast mixture, egg and milk, beat well. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has just pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes.
Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together brown sugar and cinnamon.
Roll out dough into a 12×9 inch rectangle. Spread dough with soften butter, and then sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture. Roll up dough and pinch seam to seal. Cut into 12 equal size rolls and place cut side up in 12 lightly greased pan. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until browned. Serve warm.
For three days, I was confined indoors like all Washingtonians awaiting for blizzard Jonas to pass through the area. Thankfully, power held steady throughout the storm. After catching up on my Netflix queue, I itched to move, do something productive.
Opening up another internet tab, I went to my favorite cooking website — Allrecipes.com. It is seriously the best place to find simple but delicious recipes. The website has a handy search tool that allows you to specify which ingredients you want to include and which ones you don’t. Given that I couldn’t run out to the store to buy more milk, the search bar saved me time and disappointment. There’s nothing worse than having every ingredient besides one or two that cannot be substituted.
Browsing the website, I came across a soft pretzel recipe that was straightforward and had high marks. The recipe called for flour, sugar, yeast, warm water, oil, and salt. For the most part, I followed the recipe but cut the flour down from five cups to three and a half.
After mixing the ingredients together and letting it rise, I divided the dough into 12 pieces and rolled them out until they were about a foot long and as thick as a finger. Twisting the dough into a shape of a pretzel, I dipped them in a baking soda and water solution for about one minute on each side before placing them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Eight minutes later and ta-da! Golden, soft pretzels.
These pretzels were so yummy, and I’m going to make them an appetizer for my birthday party this year. I know my friends will love these little treats.
The interim preacher at my church enlisted me to make desserts for the family movie night. I happily obliged because I wanted to try out a new recipe — lemon blueberry loaf. The dessert turned out much prettier than I had imagined. Yum!
DC Brown Sugar Bakery 