Pillsbury Bake-Off Countdown: Polynesian Pull-Apart

CakeSpy Note: OMG! It's getting to be that time of year again. The Pillsbury Bake-Off is coming in November! Since I so deeply loved attending the 45th Bake-Off as well as the 46th Bake-Off, I thought I would get you excited the 47th one early by sharing all of the sweet recipes in the running. I will focus on sweets! You can follow them by clicking the bakeoff tag below to see the recipes posted so far (as well as recipes from previous Bake-Off events). 

 I'll level with you. I'm hungry right now, and I want to eat this thing. This thing, of course, being "Polynesian Pull-Apart", a sweet bread dreamed up by Jane McMillen of Winter Garden, Florida.

Made with refrigerated biscuits, it's the cream cheese, pineapple juice, macadamia nuts, and coconut extract that make it a tropical treat that is mighty fine to eat. Good luck at the Bake-Off!

Polynesian Pull-Apart

• Prep Time: 15 Min
• Total Time: 1 Hr
• Makes: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped macadamia nuts
• 1 can Pillsbury Grands Homestyle refrigerated southern style biscuits (8 biscuits)
• 1/3 cup butter, melted 3oz cream cheese, softened (from 8-oz package)
• 1 to 2 tablespoons pineapple juice
• 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract

Procedure

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 10-inch fluted tube pan with non-stick cooking spray. In 9-inch pie plate, mix 1 cup of the sugar and the macadamia nuts; set aside.
2. Separate dough into 8 biscuits. Cut each biscuit in half. Dip both sides of biscuit halves into melted butter; roll in sugar mixture to coat all sides. Place cut sides up in bottom of fluted tube pan. Sprinkle any remaining sugar mixture over biscuit halves.
3. Bake 25 to 35 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 5 minutes; turn ring upside down onto serving plate; cool an additional 5 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in small bowl, beat cream cheese and remaining 1/4 cup sugar with electric mixer on medium speed 30 to 45 seconds or until smooth. Beat in 1 tablespoon of the pineapple juice and the coconut extract; add additional pineapple juice, 1 teaspoon at a time, until thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle over hot pull-apart ring. Serve warm.

Homemade Coffee Marshmallow, Anyone?

I don't consider myself a marshmallow-seeker. I don't avoid them, but I don't actively seek them out. 

However, marshmallows are one of those foods that when homemade, can be truly exquisite. I've tried making regular and funfetti ones, and let me tell you, my hot chocolate didn't complain once.

When Lavazza sent me a potential guest post recipe pitch (un-sponsored other than the fact that they donated the recipe and I think they make good coffee) that involved coffee marshmallows, I said "sign me up!". Bold yet sweetly sophisticated, these marshmallows practically beg you to come up with a fancy coffee liqueur cocktail recipe to pair them with. Or, if alcohol isn't your speed, combine them with hot cocoa for a little extra zip. Use a strong, good quality coffee if you don't have the brand mentioned.

Oh, and make them today for best results: September 29th is National Coffee Day!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup brewed Lavazza Perfetto, room temperature, divided
• 3 packets gelatin
• 3/4 cup corn syrup
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 vanilla bean
• pinch of salt
• 1 cup confectioners sugar
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder

Procedure

1. Combine 1/2 cup of the brewed coffee with the gelatin in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Whisk to combine.   Attach the bowl to the base of the mixer and install the whisk attachment.  Allow the gelatin to set.
2. In a medium sized saucepan, combine the remaining 1/2 cup of brewed coffee with the sugar and corn syrup; stir to incorporate all ingredients.  Without stirring, bring the sugar mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, add a candy thermometer to the pot and cook until the sugar mixture reaches 238 degrees.
3. Meanwhile, spray a 9”x13” baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.  Combine the confectioners sugar and cocoa powder in a bowl, mix well.  Sprinkle the greased pan with the cocoa/confectioners mix and tilt the pan in all directions, ensuring the entire surface of the pan is coated.
4. When the sugar syrup has reached temperature, carefully drizzle it into the bowl of the stand mixer as it whips on medium-high.  When all the syrup has been added, increase the speed to high.  Add a pinch of salt and the seeds of a vanilla bean.  Continue to whip on high until the mixture begins to lighten in color and cool. 
5. Spray a spatula with non-stick spray and dump the marshmallow mixture into the prepared baking pan.  Working quickly, spread the marshmallow as evenly as possible.  Sprinkle with some cocoa/confectioners blend and, gently, with your hands, pat the marshmallow to help flatten it.  Cover with plastic wrap and allow to set at least eight hours, preferably overnight.
6. Carefully remove the set marshmallow from the pan onto a cutting surface.  With a sharp chef’s knife, cut the marshmallow into strips one inch in width.  Cut the strip into one inch pieces to achieve a one inch square.   Toss each marshmallow square in the remaining cocoa/confectioners mix and shake off the excess.  Store in a cool, dry area in an airtight container.

Have you ever made homemade marshmallows?

How to Use Reference Images to Create Awesome Art

What do Monet’s water lilies, Andy Warhol’s soup cans, and the below unicorn illustration all have in common? The answer is reference images. Do you know how to use them to create awesome art? If not, you can learn here. I know a lot about this subject, I promise. Read the full article here.

Pillsbury Bake-Off Countdown: Very Vanilla Lemon Tarts

CakeSpy Note: OMG! It's getting to be that time of year again. The Pillsbury Bake-Off is coming in November! Since I so deeply loved attending the 45th Bake-Off as well as the 46th Bake-Off, I thought I would get you excited the 47th one early by sharing all of the sweet recipes in the running. I will focus on sweets! You can follow them by clicking the bakeoff tag below to see the recipes posted so far (as well as recipes from previous Bake-Off events). 

I will go ahead and tell you a secret right here and right now. Here goes:

I prefer vanilla to chocolate.

It's true. And Antoinette Leal of Ridgefield, Connecticut, hears me. She must: she created this recipe for Very Vanilla Lemon Tarts which will be featured at the Bake-Off! Starting with ready-made pie crust, these pastries are sweet and tart bliss. Good luck at the Bake-Off, Antoinette!

Very Vanilla Lemon Tarts

• Prep Time: 30 Min
• Total Time: 55 Min
• Makes: 8 tarts

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup lemon curd (from 10-oz jar)
• 6 teaspoons clear vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup plus 4 teaspoons powdered sugar
• 1 box Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box
• 1 egg, well beaten 2
• lemons (2 teaspoons grated peel, 2 teaspoons juice and 8 lemon peel curls)

Procedure

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. In small bowl, mix lemon curd and 2 teaspoons of the vanilla; set aside. In another small bowl, mix ricotta cheese, 4 teaspoons of the powdered sugar and 2 teaspoons of the vanilla; set aside.
2. Unroll pie crusts on work surface; roll each crust to 12-inch circle. With pizza cutter or knife, cut each crust into 8 wedges. Place 4 wedges on each cookie sheet.
3. Spoon 1 tablespoon lemon curd mixture in center of each wedge on cookie sheets; top with 1 tablespoon ricotta mixture. Spread to within 1/2 inch of edges. Brush edges of crust with egg. Top with remaining pie crust wedges. Press edges with fork to seal. Prick tops of tarts 4 to 5 times with fork. Brush tops of tarts lightly with egg.
4. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 10 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack.
5. Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix remaining 1/4 cup powdered sugar, remaining 2 teaspoons vanilla, the lemon peel and lemon juice until smooth. Spread glaze over warm tarts; garnish with lemon peel curls. Serve warm. Store covered.

Using Color to Convey Emotion in Art

Did you know that color can be a powerful way to show emotion in art? Beyond the obvious, here's an exploration of some of the ways color can bring your message clearly across, messy emotions and all. Read the entire post on Craftsy!

How to Draw and Paint Mixed Media Flowers

This is a fun and vibrant thing to discover as an artist: how to draw/paint a mixed media masterpiece featuring flowers. This is a tutorial I made for Craftsy, but it's tons of fun for all sorts of creative types. It doesn't include cake, it's true, but I can strongly suggest a slice of this rich cake topped with spiced pecans and pears to accompany it if you want something sweet to eat while you work. Here's the complete post about how to draw mixed media flowers.

Pillsbury Bake-Off Countdown: Cinnamon-Pumpkin Muffins

CakeSpy Note: OMG! It's getting to be that time of year again. The Pillsbury Bake-Off is coming in November! Since I so deeply loved attending the 45th Bake-Off as well as the 46th Bake-Off, I thought I would get you excited the 47th one early by sharing all of the sweet recipes in the running. I will focus on sweets! You can follow them by clicking the bakeoff tag below to see the recipes posted so far (as well as recipes from previous Bake-Off events). 

I famously consider muffins a waste of my time. My primary issue: they are just not cake.

However, every now and again a muffin comes along that I feel as if I could fit into my diet and life without much issue. Well, it certainly helps that Anna Zovko of Tampa, Florida includes sugar cookie dough in the batter! Plus, there is glaze. Now that's my kind of muffin.

Good luck at the Bake-Off!

Cinnamon-Pumpkin Muffins

• Prep Time: 20 Min
• Total Time: 1 Hr 5 Min
• Makes: 12 muffins

Ingredients

• 1 roll Pillsbury refrigerated sugar cookie dough
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
• 3/4 cup self-rising flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/3 cup cream cheese creamy ready-to-spread frosting

Procedure

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Let cookie dough stand at room temperature 10 minutes to soften. Place baking cups in each of 12 regular-size muffin cups.
2. In large bowl, break up cookie dough. Add eggs and pumpkin. Beat with electric mixer on medium speed about 1 minute or until well blended. Add flour and 2 teaspoons of the cinnamon; beat on low speed about 30 seconds or until blended. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.
3. In small bowl, mix sugar and remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon until blended. Sprinkle rounded 1/4 teaspoon sugar mixture over batter in each muffin cup.
4. Bake 18 to 28 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 3 minutes; remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool at least 15 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, place frosting in medium resealable food-storage plastic bag. Cut off small corner of bag. Squeeze bag to drizzle frosting over each muffin. Store covered.

Immaculately Delicious: Immaculate Baking Company Mixes

Not so very long ago, Immaculate Baking Company contacted me and asked if I would like to try some samples of their new, fairly virtuous cake mixes. Sure, I said. I love cake mix, it's true.

I was surprised when not long later, a huge box arrived. There was a lot of mix coming my way, I could plainly see.

LOTS!

And flour, too!

Well, I figured I'd best get to baking to see what these cookies were all about. I got mildly bummed out by this:

Because truthfully...

But anyhow, I decided to start with cookies. Chocolate cookies, and they were gluten-free to boot. I don't know about you, but I actually get super excited about gluten free chocolate stuff. That means there's less "texture" getting in the way of my chocolate experience. 

So, I added the requisite ingredients (oil, eggs, etc).

I mixed it all, and a nice dough formed.

I lined a baking sheet and set it up with rounds of dough. Aren't they beautiful?

For no particular reason, I added almonds on top of some of them.

I baked 'em up and here's how they looked.

The cookies were VERY soft after baking and tough to transfer until a few minutes had passed, but after 30 minutes on a wire rack, they had solidified and were ready to eat.

The gluten-free chocolate cookies came out very nicely. I loved how they became crispy on the edges but still retained a chewiness on the interior. The taste was assertively but not aggressively chocolate, which made it a nice cookie to combine with other dessert-stuffs: for instance, perfect bookends for an ice cream sandwich. I found that for stand-alone eating the cookies were a nice base, but benefitted from bonus additions: the almonds, and a sprinkling of sea salt, really made them come to life. But I should tell you: I'm a salt freak. It's true:

I also tried out the pancake mix as I was developing a recipe for bacon-filled pancakes, and I can't share that one yet, but I can tell you the mix was really quite good. 

I say that Immaculate Baking Company's mixes are well worth a try--I can't wait to try out the cake mix to make Gooey butter cake!

Check 'em out: Immaculate Baking Company.

Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links!

Photo via Smart Girl AccessoriesTHIS SHIRT. I WANT IT I NEED IT. Via Smart Girl Accessories.

GIVEAWAY!! Win a copy of the cutest cookie decorating book ever.

I love this: root beer float cupcakes (that look like little mugs!)

"Krispie treat" style...but made with Honey nut cheerios and banana. Yum!

Craftsy cake decorating classes are on MEGA sale right now. Take advantage!

Sweets inspired by sopaipillas. Love it!

Passionfruit Meringue Coconut Cake. Try saying that five times fast!

Raw chocolate almond truffles. These sound good.

Interesting read for fall bakers: what is pumpkin pie spice, exactly?

Helpful for artists: how to digitally remove a paper background from an illustration in Photoshop.

Shortbread Nanaimo bars. Just as amazing as they sound.

A fascinating look back at the Columbian Exhibition of 1893 in Chicago - when many modern foods were debuted.

Clever Hen: a recent discovery of mine. A cute online shop with plenty of specialty baking products.

Bowl desserts. Live the dream. 

Book of the week: The Language of Food: A Linguist Reads the Menu. Want to know why we eat toast in the morning but make toasts in the evening? Read this book. An awesome look at food words from the point of view of a smarty-pants linguist.

Giveaway: Decorating Cookies Party by Bridget Edwards

UPDATE: WE HAVE A WINNER!!

It's Joanna, whose comment was chosen at random: "My favorite cookie EVER is a bar cookie that's a family recipe called "Revel Bars" ... they're an oatmeal cookie with a thick layer of fudge, and topped with dots of salty oatmeal cookie on top and they're to DIE for. Starbucks used to make a version of it that was not nearly as good."

Sounds like a tasty cookie to me!

Listen up. I want to give you a book!

I don't know if you're familiar with Bridget Edwards of Bake at 350, but if not, you're in for a treat. She is a cookie decorator ROYALE. And she is willing to teach you her secrets in two books: her previous release (which I loved) entitled Decorating Cookies: 60+ Designs for Holidays, Celebrations & Everyday, and now, her brand new book, Decorating Cookies Party: 10 Celebratory Themes. The new book includes 50 designs to be made from a few master cookie recipes (one of them is even gluten-free, people). 

So, you want to win the book?

All you have to do is tell me the following:

What is your favorite cookie in the world and why? 

Yes, that's an open ended question. It could be a store bought cookie, your grandma's recipe, or one you make. Just tell me why it's so special!

I'll choose a winner one week from today (that's Friday, October 3rd). Meantime, you can buy the book here if you need it ASAP! Since the publisher is sending this out directly, I'm honoring their request that the entrants for this giveaway have US or Canadian shipping addresses, please.