Reason to be MIA

Hello again bloggers!
After 3 full weeks of 60 hour work week, I realize that there must be life after death. Crooked joke...
Well, I have tons of posts (pictures and ideas) I just didn't quiet had the time to write them down.  Lot's going on as I'm working and coming home only to sleep. 
I try to squeeze some time to finish up decorating my neglected apt. But I'm almost there. I'm trying to take pictures of most of it. So soon I will have lots of "before and after" pics.
I have to say it's coming out great!

But this is a post to show what's eating Tati's grapes.
I started working for a personalized stationery company last year. It's a brand new company so there are lots of figuring it out as we go. But we have come a long way since last year.
Like, we just launched the web store and we're working on tons of cute camp stationery at this moment.
Selling like crazy!!!  
So hop on over there and take a look. a little card company
the shop

And I will be back soon with a baked good recipe!
This still a baking blog! FOR THE BAKING SAKE! (I love when I can fit the title of my blog into a post) :)))))

Have a good week.

xoxo
Tati

Sandwich brownie cookies filled with spiced ganache

 My friend asked for something with lots of chocolate today. So how about stuffing brownies with chocolate??  Spiced chocolate!!!













Ingredients:

1 Box of fudge brownies mix
2 Eggs
1/3 Cup of oil

Ganache:

9 Oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1/3 teaspoon of nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
1tbs of orange liqueur (optional)

How to:

Mix the brownie mix with the eggs and oil till well combined

on a greased cookie sheet, drop round tablespoons of the batter 2 inches apart.

Bake at 350 for 14 min. Remove from the oven and transfer cookies to cooling rack with a metal spatula. let it cool.

Make the ganache by combining all the ingredients in a microwave safe bowl and heat it for 3 to 4 min.
Mix all till creamy and  smooth bring to the fridge to set and cool.

Place one teaspoon one one side of the cookie and top with another cookie.

 And enjoy!

These are for the chocolate strong! Are you chocolate strong???


Hope you all like it!
Have a great weekend!

xo,
Tati

Cupshoot.

So I was practicing my cupcakes for a girl's birthday on Friday and as always I ended up with a bunch of cakes. So I had the bright idea to call up some friends and have them drive by and get it out of my house (before it went all in my tummy)
One of those friends has a professional photographer for a husband. So he took some pics of the cupcake I gave them.

And for today's recipe:::

White chocolate buttercream on lemon cupcakes.











Ingredients:
6 oz of good white chocolate
2 sticks (one cup) of unsalted butter
2 cups of confectioners sugar
3 to 4 spoons of half and half

How to:
Melt the chocolate and let it cool
beat the sugar and butter till creamy
add melted chocolate
and add the cream spoon by spoon till you get right consistence.
You're ready to pipe!

I used lemon cake mix.
Also for filing, I made lime mouse (the same one I used on the pie last week) But this is for another post. The mini cake I'm working at right now.

I just wanted to show off the pics of the cupcake. Came out great. Thank you Betty and Jaymz!

Look forward to have more of my cakes and creations photographed by him again!

So there you have it! Working on my mini cake (to top the cupcake tower) :)))



This post was featured on:

She said the nicest thing about the post.  <3 <3 <3

and here too:

 

Lime Meringue Pie.

 Dough

         2 cups of flour
         4 tbsp butter
         1/2 cup of heavy cream
         1 tsp baking powder

Filling

         1 can of condensed milk
         6 tablespoons of lime juice
         1/2 cup of heavy cream
         1 tbsp grated zest of lime

Meringue

         2 egg whites
         1 cup sugar

How to:

Dough:
     Sift flour, make a hole in the center and place the butter, cream and baking powder. Mix them with the fingertips until the dough completely loosen the hands. Let stand for about 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Roll out the dough, line a pan of removable bottom, stick the bottom with a fork and bake in oven over medium-high 350 for about 20 minutes.
Filling:
     In a bowl, mix together the condensed milk with lime juice. Incorporate the cream and lime zest.
Meringue:

     In a medium saucepan, combine the egg whites with sugar and cook over low heat, stirring often, about 3 minutes. 
Remove from heat and beat in a mixer for about 5 minutes or until doubled in volume. Stop the mixer, fill the pie with lemon cream, top it with the meringue. Return pie to oven for about 10 minutes to brown the meringue. let it cool bring to the fridge for at least 2 hours. Serve cold.

So I finally got that oven. Part deux

1 year of cake decorating classes and these are what I came up with... lol
In my defense and for the reputation  of  ICE,  I'm just out of practice and short on the materials.

Here I made marble cake filled with dulce de leche topped with cream cheese ganache.
And simple vanilla and chocolate cupcakes topped with the ganache and fondant.













Ganache recipe

2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate shaves or chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups of cream cheese
2 spoons of Countreaul or any orange liquor
4 TBS of confectioners sugar
2 TSP of vanilla extract

How to:

Start by mixing the sugar, liquor and vanilla
Melt the chocolate in low heat
in a large bowl, mix the cream cheese with the sugar mixture and fold in the melted chocolate
until well combined.

Now we are ready to decorate!


You will need a cake

 Cut for layers of filling

 Stack and spread

Yeah... It could be better right?! :DDD



So here is where the madness begins...

That's all folks!!!

Keep posted for my next recipe.  Hope you liked my super post. And I hope you try these recipes.
Until next time.
Xoxo
Tati

So I finally got that oven.

And I baked the house down!
I didn't try anything new yet. I needed to get used to the oven and the Kitchenaid, so I stuck with cupcakes and breads.
I did make some alterations to the ganache recipe so I will give you that. Everything else is just pics of the cakes. Just happy my little kitchen handled that much baking. It was chaos when I was done but at least it's functioning... :D







Kitchenaid Bread recipe:

1/2 cup of low fat milk
3 TBS of sugar
2 TSP of salt
3 TBS of butter
2 pkgs of active dry yeast ( I used instant rise)
1 1/2 cup of warm water (follow instructions and temperature on the back of the yeast)
5 to 5 cups of all-purpose flour

How to:

Place milk, sugar, salt, and butter in small saucepan. Heat over low heat until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Cool to lukewarm.

Dissolve yeast in warm water in warmed mixer bowl. Add lukewarm milk mixture and 4 ½ cups flour. Attach bowl and dough hook to mixer. Turn to Speed 2 and mix about 1 minute.

Continuing on Speed 2, add remaining flour, ½ cup at a time, and mix about 2 minutes, or until dough clings to hook and cleans sides of bowl. Knead on Speed 2 about 2 minutes longer, or until dough is smooth and elastic. Dough will be slightly stick to the touch.

Place dough in greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover. Let rise in warm place, free from draft, about 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk.


Punch dough down and divide in half. Shape each half into a loaf, and place in greased 8 ½ x 4 ½ x 2 ½-inch baking pans. Cover. Let rise in warm place, free from draft, about 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk.

Bake at 400 F for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from pans immediately and cool on wire racks.

Then Enjoy!!!
Ps. I will be right back with the rest of this post. Making a separate post this one is too big!

Baking essentials...

Well... Here is another one of sorry-I-didn't-have-time-to-bake-so-I-will-just-make-something-up-to-post post!
But cut me a slack here, my kitchen was all packed up for over 2 months, while I  waited on the new apt to be done!
The kitchen is almost done. I just need one big baking essential, an oven! Gas line is ready and all, just need to find size that will match the hood my landlord picked out. (the thing is huge)
But not all is lost! I finally bought a kitchenaid! WHAT??? Yes! I didn't have one. And that my friend, it is a big baking essential!!!
So here is my new gadg...  And a sneak peak of how my kitchen is looking. (it's gorgeous and I picked up every single element of it). Just waiting on that oven... Oy vey!

                                                                            Before

                                                                               After

Keep posted! Soon very soon will be posting the goodies I will create with this babe!

Happy Friday!

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Bringing Brigadeiro to America. By plane.

Legend says that the popular Brazilian bonbon, was named after Brigadeiro Eduardo Gomes. An air marshal and politician of the early days in Brazil. Nobody has much idea why. So you just gonna have to trust the popular word on this!
But nevertheless, it's yummy, ease, and very popular in Brazil.  And it's gaining popularity over here in America quiet fast. At least on my surroundings...  Try this and see for yourself why!
Here is brigadeiro on Wiki.




  
Ingredients:
1 can of sweet condensed milk
2 TBS of butter
3 to 4 TBS of semi-sweet good quality cocoa powder.

How to:

In a saucepan, pour the condensed milk, the butter and the cocoa.
Stir all of the ingredients and bring it to a low heat stirring slowly.

As it starts to boil, increase the stirring speed and keep stirring until it's not sticking to the
pan. It takes about 3 min after it starts boiling. But you will have to make your own judgment of that...

Turn off the heat and pour the brigadeiro over a plate or parchment paper to cool down.

When it's completely cooled, roll it into bonbons. Roll the bonbons over chopped nuts, sprinkles, coconut or whatever you like.

This makes very good alternative to the same old box of chocolates on V-day.
It's home made and very delicious.  When I make these, I hardly get to roll them into bonbons. I eat it right off the plate!

Happy Xoxoxoxo day!!!