JenOni

#baking

Red Velvet Cupcakes for Holiday Baking


RedVelvetCupcakes

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons red food coloring
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
RedVelvetCupcakesOven
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 pound cream cheese, softened
2 sticks butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
Chopped pecans and fresh raspberries or strawberries, for garnish
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers.
In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.
Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins about 2/3 filled. Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, half way through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth. Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy.
Garnish with chopped pecans and a fresh raspberry or strawberry
Cook’s Note: Frost the cupcakes with a butter knife or pipe it on with a big star tip.

Holiday Gift Guide

Holiday Gift Guide

baking-gift-guide

  1. KitchenAid KSM150PSER Artisan Tilt-Head Stand Mixer with Pouring Shield, 5-Quart, Empire Red
  2. Silpat AE420295-07 Premium Non-Stick Silicone Baking Mat, Half Sheet Size, 11-5/8″ x 16-1/2″
  3. Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls by Finedine (Set of 6) Polished Mirror Finish Nesting Bowls ¾, 1.5,3,4,5 and 8 Quart – Cooking Supplies
  4. Farberware Classic 17-Piece Tool and Gadget Set
  5. Calphalon Nonstick Bakeware Set, 6-Pieces
  6. Grandbaby Cakes: Modern Recipes, Vintage Charm, Soulful Memories

Holiday Gift Guide

  1. Fitbit Charge 2 Heart Rate + Fitness Wristband, Black, Large
  2. AmazonBasics 20-Pound Dumbbell Set with Stand
  3. Reehut 1/2-Inch Extra Thick High Density NBR Exercise Yoga Mat for Pilates, Fitness & Workout Purple
  4. S’well Men’s Shadow Medium Stainless Steel Bottle, Shadow, One Size
  5. S’well Women’s Bikini Pink 17 Ounce Water Bottle
  6. Lendoo I5 Plus Smart Bracelet Fitness Tracker Sport Wrist Bluetooth 4.0 Pedometer Tracking Calorie Health Sleep Monitor Wristband for Android IOS Phones (black)
  7. Casio Women’s BA-110-7A1CR Baby-G Pink Analog-Digital Watch with White Resin Band
  8. Casio G-Shock X-Large Display Stealth Black Watch (GA110-1B) – Water and Shock Resistant

Baking: Cake Donuts

I found this donut pan @HomeGoods

BakingMiniDonutBakingPan

 

My love of baking has extended to a donut recipe.  After months of telling my donut fan, we would bake donuts I finally found a great pan and decided to do it over spring break.  My go to place for all recipes is usually Pinterest.     For all new recipes, I check the cabinet shelves to make sure I have all the ingredients.   The only missing item I needed was buttermilk.   After going to Target over the weekend of course I forgot the buttermilk.    If this happens to you don’t worry!   As a substitute for buttermilk,I added 2 TBSP of vinegar to 1 cup of my whole milk and let it set for about five minutes.

I also had to make my own pastry bag using a storage bag and snipping one corner of the bag.

Baking  : Old Fashioned Baked Cake Donuts

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground cinnamon

You can find the recipe on the link below.

Recipe credit:  The Busy Baker

The recipes yields 2 dozen mini donuts.  *One tweak I made was reducing my oven temperature for the second batch.   I found my first batch burned on the bottom at the recipe temperature.

BakingStep1BakedDonut

 

BakingRecipeStep2

 

BakingStep3BakedDonuts

Before,  I rolled in cinnamon sugar.

BakingBakedDonutsFinal

Cooking and Baking by Me: Butter Cookies

phonto (11)

Where would Christmas be without my cookie baking? This recipe became one of my Christmas cookies a few years ago. My preference is to use plastic cookie cutters, so if you are looking for some #BedBath&Beyond sells a box of 100 cookie cutters for every occasion. I used sprinkles and will frost with a Betty Crocker frosting tube. I have yet to make the icing within the recipe. If you try let me know.

The recipe is from the Land O Lakes website:

Cookie
1 cup Land O Lakes® Butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 Land O Lakes® All-Natural Egg
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Frosting
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup Land O Lakes® Butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 to 2 tablespoons milk
Food color, if desired

Combine 1 cup softened butter, sugar and egg in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add orange juice and 1 tablespoon vanilla. Continue beating, scraping bowl often, until well mixed. Add flour and baking powder; beat at low speed until well mixed.

Divide dough into thirds. Shape each third into a ball; flatten slightly. Wrap each in plastic food wrap; refrigerate 2 to 3 hours or until firm.

Heat oven to 400°F. Roll out dough, one-third at a time, on lightly floured surface (keeping remaining dough refrigerated), to 1/8- to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with 3-inch cookie cutters. Place 1 inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 6-10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Let stand 1 minute on cookie sheet; remove to cooling rack. Cool completely.

Combine powdered sugar, 1/3 cup butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla in small bowl. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often and gradually adding enough milk for desired spreading consistency. Tint with food color, if desired. Frost and decorate cooled cookies as desired.

Variation: Best Ever Butter Cookies with Glaze: Prepare cookies as directed above omitting frosting. To prepare glaze, stir together 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon Land O Lakes® Butter, softened, 1 tablespoon light corn syrup and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract in medium bowl until smooth, adding additional water, if necessary, to reach desired glazing consistency. Tint with food color, if desired. Glaze cooled cookies. Decorate as desired. Let stand 6 hours or overnight until glaze is hardened.

 

recipe courtesy of landolakes.com

Cooking and Baking: Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

photo (47)Do not toss your overipe bananas?  I freeze them and pull out my banana bread recipe.   I love banana bread and the only must for a great recipe- must be MOIST!  This recipe was the absolute best and it lives up to the the title.  *Recipe says to only bake for 35minutes, however I suggest checking the bread at 45-50mins.  All the breads I have baked previously were never done at 35 minutes.

 

 

Moist Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 -5 very mashed ripe bananas
  • 1/3 cup softened butter
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 cup chocolate chips

 

  1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
  2. Combine 1 cup of the flour, the sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl of an electric mixer fitted.
  3. Add mashed ripe bananas, milk and butter then beat well on low speed until blended then switch to hight speed for about 2 minutes.
  4. Add remaining flour and eggs then beat until blended.
  5. Stir all in chocolate chips.
  6. Pour the batter into the prepaired greased 8″x4″x2″ loaf pan.
  7. Bake at 350 degrees F oven until a tester inserted into center comes out clean, it’s about 35 minutes. Suggest 45-55 minutes.
  8. Let it rest in the pan for about 10 minutes on wire rack.
  9. Then turn it out onto a cake rack to cool completely then divide into 15 slices to serve or store.