Class II Day 6: Confections

LOTS of stuff. Pretty easy to make too... minus the burning sugar, use of a candy thermometer, and lots of sticky. Sadly, this is the last class for the Pro Bake II. (There is no III.) Oh, sadface. I really haven't had time to practice anything this session. So, I'll be sure to keep on honing those skills!

Chewy Butter Caramels

with a chocolate drizzel (I didn't do.)

With Fleur de Sel (I didn't do, either.)

Pecan Pralines

 

 Peanut Brittle

Caramel Corn

Marshmallows

Chocolate Truffles

Cooked Frosting

Seems like cooked frosting is as old as dirt... but I've only just recently come across it! It came to me on a piece of scratch paper, the "recipe" hastily and vaguely written in pencil. So with some research and guessing, I composited the Cooked Frosting recipe:

1 C Milk
3Tbsp AP Flour
1/2C Butter
1/2C Crisco
1C Sugar
1/4tsp Vanilla

Cook milk in small saucepan. Slowly add flour. Stir until thick, like pudding. (I only got it to "light sour cream consistency")

 Let milk+flour mixture cool completely.
Once cool, beat with room temperature butter and Crisco. (You could use all butter. I think I might next time.)

 Beat in the sugar and vanilla.
Frosting should be fluffy - beat for a while until you get a good consistency.
Chill before icing.

I'm guessing you can use this as a nice base frosting and flavor as you like! I haven't tried anything though. But I do really like the fluffiness and thickness of it!

Class II Day 5: Genoise Cakes and Mousse

Second to last class! Time has just flown by!!! So this class we made sponge/genoise cake.

MMMMMMMmmmmmm.

Vanilla Genoise with Strawberry Mousse

Cocoa Genoise with Chocolate Mousse

Unfortunately, this class day was SUPER HOT out in LA. So, I was only able to drive it 15 min to one of the few (maybe only?) friend that lives in LA. I wish I could have shared it with more... but mousse certainly would not have made it the 1 hr drive back to the OC.

Leaving on a jet plane...

I'm off to Europe for a three week vacation! I have a few posts scheduled out til mid-October. But I won't be back til end of October. Miss you much! Can't wait to get back to post and to catch up on all my favorite blogs!

The All-In Peanut Butter Cookies

All-in? Whaaaaat? Meaning, ALL THINGS PEANUT. ok. Peanut Butter and Roasted Peanuts. But that's still fancy no?

Yummy!! I made these vegan... anything with PB is awesome!!

The Whole Jar of Peanut Butter Cookies

The Whole Jar of Peanut Butter Cookies - vegan style!
1C Vegan butter, not cold, but not TOO room temp
3/4C White Sugar
1C packed Brown Sugar
3 Vegan "eggs"
2tsp Vanilla Extract
1 (18 oz) jar Peanut Butter
2-1/2C AP Flour
1-1/2tsp Baking Soda
1C Chopped Peanuts

Cream butter and sugars. Add in egg. Then vanilla and PB. Then add the flour and baking soda. Mix in the chopped peanuts. Smoosh down onto prepared baking sheet. (Vegan cookies don't seem to spread much by themselves... so give it a little smoosh!)

Class II Day 4: Butter Cakes

Yellow Cake with Salted Caramel Buttercream

Caramel - from scratch!

the incredible Salted Caramel Buttercream - it is a really pretty light taupe-y color.

(Sorry for the "list of pictures" - I really should get to collage-ing them again)


Petit Fours

the almond cake part

spread with raspberry jam

Layered. Cubed. Dipped in liquid fondant = fail.

So, the cake and jam were good. The dipping was not. And I predicted it would not go well. Me and dipping things do not end well.