Birthday Blocks Cake(s)

I am so glad I am back on my feet and able to bake again, this is the 3rd cake in 3 weeks! I love it!  This cake is for Charlotte’s 1st Birthday.  Everyone got their own “block of cake”.  I had some difficulties doing this one.  The smaller cakes were a challenge to cover with fondant, they are quite bumpy and uneven, but I tried!  You will notice there is one that looks out-of-place, that was Charlotte’s.  It is only covered in icing so she could just go at it   Happy Birthday Charlotte!

Dad’s 60th Birthday Cake

This year was my Dad’s 60th Birthday!  Each year his request is usually ‘just a lemon on lemon cake would be wonderful’, meaning lemon cake with lemon filling with lemon icing. I have made one that looked like a lemon, and several that were just round layers cakes with icing, but this year I wanted to do something a little different.  Dad is one of those guys that they don’t seem to make anymore, he is quite handy.  He can fix most anything!  When I was little, and now, I generally try to help out so I like to think I am kinda handy myself.  Having a tools cake just seemed appropriate.  He loved it! Happy 60th Birthday Dad, Love you!

 

Raisin Cinnamon Scones

This is a recipe that I have done before, check it out here, but I must say the post was very boring!  It was early on in my posting days and I only had an after picture.  I have made these a few times, but figured I would post ‘properly’ about them.  I am sure not everyone likes to see a photo of each and every step, but I do!  I am a very visual person, I like to see what I am supposed to do or what it should look like.  Often if I am looking for a recipe and there is no photo, I just leave because I just can’t visualize how it will turn out.  I did make a few changes from the original recipe.

Raisin Scones

The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

Barefoot Contessa, Episode: Big Breakfast, from Food Network

Ingredients

4 cups plus 1 tablespoon flour
2 tablespoons sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup cold heavy cream (I had half & half so I used that)
3/4 cup raisins
1 extra-large egg beaten with 2 tablespoons milk or water, for egg wash
*I added a 1/2 tsp of cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Combine 4 cups flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, the baking powder, salt  and cinnamon in an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.

3.Blend in the cold butter at the lowest speed and mix until the butter is in pea-sized pieces.

There is a lot of butter in these scones, but don’t skimp, it’s worth it!
Kinda funny that i am weighing 3/4 pound of butter on a Weight Watchers scale (FYI, they are not points friendly!)

4. Combine the eggs and heavy cream and quickly add to the flour/butter mixture. Combine until just blended.

5. Combine the raisins and 1 tablespoon flour and then add to the dough and mix quickly. The dough may be a bit sticky. (Forgot to take a picture of this one)

6. Dump the dough out onto a floured surface and be sure it is well combined. Flour your hands and a rolling pin and roll the dough out to 3/4-inch to 1-inch thick.  Cut into desired shape, I make my scones into triangles

7. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

8. Brush the scones with the egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the outsides are crisp and the insides are done.

Once again, these were amazing! I have yet to make anything of Ina Garten’s that was not fantastic!  The addition of the cinnamon was quite nice.  They have a wonderful texture.  They are not rich and heavy as you would assume with all the butter.  They are nice and light, you can see the many layers from the butter. Delicious!  I took a bunch into Poppa and Gramma’s, they loved them, covering them in more butter.  Gramma said I could make them anytime

My New Kitchen Toy

Introducing my new kitchen toy – A Grill Press Pan!  2 years ago for my birthday I got a Panini Press, I loved it while it lasted…first one lasted about 6 months, second one (replacement) maybe 8 months.  So I have been without Panini/grilled sandwiches for quite some time.  Last week I hosted a Pampered Chef Party and this was the Host Special (it was a steal!).  I was quite excited to give it a try.

I didn’t have a whole lot in the house so this is what I managed to put together… While the grill was preheating I prepared the sandwich. I made a garlic mayo, with turkey breast, tomatoes, lettuce and cheese

Butter is sizzling as soon as it hits the grill!

Doing its magic under the heavy press…

Looks fantastic!!

This sandwich was simple but so delicious!  I don’t know what happens to a sandwich when you put it in a grill press/panini press, but there is literally magic that goes on in there.  I have eaten this sandwich many, many times, but grilling it just brought it to a while new level.

I must say I think I like the stove top version much better then the electric one.  This one seemed to have more even heat and I was able to control the heat more, as I can see the flame and there is nothing to break down on this one.  The outside was beautifully crunchy adding such great texture to the sandwich.

I look forward to creating many, many more delicious sandwiches…stay tuned!

Star Trek Cake

I can’t believe it has been over 2 months since I have posted!  I have been recovering from surgery that has kept me off my feet for quite some time.  I was going through withdrawals, no baking for 2 months is unheard of!  Anyways, all is well now, back on my feet and ready to hit the kitchen running.  Poor KAM (my Kitchen Aid Mixer) had been tucked away in the cupboard all this time, it was like music to my ears to hear it whipping away at the cake and icing.

I had a request for a Star Trek cake.  I will admit that I know NOTHING about Star Trek.  She actually had to guide me through an internet search to show me what to make,  I kind of felt like Penny, from Big Bang.  I was clueless!  Once I figured out what it was, all was well.  The Star Trek Logo…

 

It was a success and he loved it!

It felt so good to be back in the kitchen baking, I hope I never have to go that long without baking, ever again!  As much work as it is, I just love it!

 

 

Violet Cake

I was asked to make a cake for an adorable little girl having a first birthday.  Her name is Violet, my goodness she is adorable! The little bear is “My Pal Violet”, she has one and just loves it.  This was my first sculpted character cake, it came out ok, I will need more practice at that, it’s harder than it looks!  Hope she liked her cake.

Erica’s Edibles Turns 4!

Erica’s

Edibles

Turns 4!

 

Happy Blogaversary! (I’m fairly certain that is not a word) It was 4 years ago today that I opened my blog.  The only reason I started Erica’s Edibles was so I could participate in the Daring Bakers monthly baking challenge, I had to have somewhere to show the challenge results.  I had no idea I would love blogging so much.  I thought I would post my monthly challenges and that would be the end of it.  Erica’s Edibles has become an addiction, all I want to do is bake and post!  Over the past 4 years I have posted 186 entries, not all were fantastic, but I enjoyed doing every one of them. Even though it sounds kind of silly, a blogaversary, it is really just another excuse for me to bake something and post it!

My blogaversary post will be CCCC #5.  I have to sneak one more batch of chocolate chip cookies in before Lent starts.  Each year during Lent I give up ALL junk!  As a baker this is very hard.  I still bake things for other people but I can’t continue my CCCC during Lent because I can’t try them!  So, this will be the last Chocolate Chip Cookie post until after Easter.

I have wanted to make this Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe from Cookies & Cups since I first started this challenge.  The picture sucked me right in, I was totally mesmerized by it, they are huge, thick, and look ooey and gooy in the center, they look perfect!  Every time I decide I am going to strike into a batch for the CCCC my eyes immediately go to that picture (on my Pinterest board) I get all exited, mouth waters, and then I remember the dough needs to sit AT LEAST overnight in the fridge!!! Well, this time I remembered and planned ahead.  Thank you to Shelly, at Cookies & Cups for this recipe, you should check it out, there are quite a few more recipes I will be trying from there.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Challenge  #5

1 cup salted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp coarse sea salt
1 (12 oz) bag mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (I could not find good quality minis so went with regular size)

Directions

1. Cream butter and sugars together

2. Add in eggs and vanilla and continue mixing until incorporated

3. Stir in all chocolate chips until evenly distributed

4. Add in flour, baking powder and soda and coarse sea salt

5. Mix  until evenly incorporated

6. Now for the torture! Cover dough with cling wrap and refrigerate overnight, or up to 48 hours!  Are you kidding me? refrigerate at least overnight? How does one get all this together and not bake them? Talk about anticlimactic! All I have to say is, they better be worth the wait.

7. The next day……When ready to bake preheat oven to 350°

8. I used a 3 Tbsp cookie scoop (until it broke from the stiff dough, then resorted to weighing each cookie 2.5 oz) and placed 6 cookies on a sheet on baking sheet.

9. Bake for 9-10 (Mine took 14 minutes) minutes until edges are golden brown.

10. Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet for 2-3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling. Do this carefully, as the cookies might not be completely set in the center.

We need to take a minute and just look at these cookies….

Golden….

Big…

Thick…

Crisp outside layer…

Check out the inside of these cookies!

Soft…

Chewy…

Delicious!

These cookies were so worth the wait!  As much as I complained about having to let the dough sit overnight, I have to admit, it was worth it.  The cookies baked up perfectly! Each cookie was thick and evenly golden.  This was the first cookie that I was happy with the thickness, they were over a half-inch thick, they looked perfect!  Now for the centers… I broke one of the cookies open and cracked through the thin crispy layer I was pleasantly surprised with the soft moist (not raw) centers. As for the taste? Delicious!  The cookie had amazing texture.  The outer crispness accented the wonderfully soft and chewy centre.  It was one of those moments where when you take a bite you stop chewing, close your eyes and think ‘wow, that’s a good cookie!’.  The taste of these cookies were different then any other chocolate chip cookie that I’d ever had.  There were just enough mini chips that you got many in every bite, just sweet enough AND THEN you get the hint of sea salt which brought my taste buds back to life.  The salty sweet combination was excellent!

This recipe is now the one to beat, if that is even possible!  I will continue to try different recipes but they are going to have to be pretty amazing to beat this one.  I am so glad that my last CCCC recipe before Lent (6 long weeks of no treats!) was a success. Thank you to Shelly at Cookies and Cups for this amazing recipe!