October Daring Bakers - Pizza & Toppings

I joined the Daring Bakers group and am happy to report a successful first month. I was elated when this month's host, Rosa of Rosa's Yummy Yums decided on a savory recipe.

Our challenge was focused on learning how to make real "pizza dough." So all of us Daring Bakers are playing pizzaiolos this month!

The is from Peter Reinhart's "The Bread Baker's Apprentice called "Pizza Napoletana" and is described as a beautifully tasty, thin, crispy, yet chewy pizza crust. The recipe can be found on Rosa's blog.

We were required to use sauce and toppings and the pizzas could be savory or sweet. So naturally, I opted for both. The recipe made 6 pizza crusts. I froze three and made three. Here are my choices

* Margarita Pizza - fresh mozzarella, basil and sauce with a light drizzle of balsamic vinegar
* Pepperoni - mostly for the hubby, pepperoni, sauce and grated mozzarella cheese
* Nutella and Fresh Strawberries - Delightfully chocolaty and sweet

All in all I was very please with the recipe. It wasn't very simple. However, tossing the dough was not! I know that will take hundreds of pizzas to master, but I did have fun and will definitely use this method whenever I make the dough. I used a stone for the pepperoni pizza and a regular pan for the others as I was using two ovens.

I loved how thin the crust turned out. In case you are wondering, the Margarita was my favorite.

Tuesdays with Dorie - Chocolate Chocolate Cupcakes

I love Tuesdays with Dorie, I don't think I'll ever be able to express how much I've enjoyed this baking group! I thought this love couldn't possibly grow anymore, but then...then Clara from I heart Food4Thought chose Dorie's Chocolate Chocolate Cupcake recipe!

Each year I get together with some girlfriends to decorate Halloween baked goods and I knew that this year I'd be using one of Dorie's recipes! It really was great timing because I had never made a chocolate cupcake recipe from scratch nor chocolate ganache.

The result: fun and ghoulishly good. Upon first bite I was very critical of the cupcakes being a bit dry, especially since others had experienced this as well. You can read the discussion (all 96 comments)here on the TWD P&Q. Luckily, I filled some with Nutella and those were by far the best. The Nutella locked in the moisture and gave it that extra chocolaty goodness it needed.

If I make this recipe again, I will weigh my flour and only bake the cupcakes for like 19 minutes...and obviously fill with Nutella.

Make sure to check out the other Tuesday with Dorie baker's loverly cupcakes. You can find the recipe on Clara's blog.

Magnolia Vanilla Cupcakes

I did it!

I finally tried Magnolia's famous Vanilla cupcake and vanilla buttercream recipes!
Remember how much I loved them here?
I must say, I was impressed with myself when I tried them.
I think it was by far one of the best cupcakes I've made.
I loved their buttercream recipe, it wasn't as sweet as my normal one.
And that batter, man, I loved that batter.
And remember, I don't like batter.

Try it for yourself!
Here's the lovely link!

p.s. does anyone know how to make the classic swirl on top that Magnolia's always does?

Fall in Utah Makes Me Happy

I wish Utah's Fall lasted at least three full months.

I purchased this storyboard of prints from Bethany Jackman Photography
...and gave it to my sister that lives in Houston, who loves and misses Autumn in Utah

Pumpkin Gnocchi with Sage Butter

I had some leftover canned pumpkin from last week's TWD recipe, so I decided to take a stab at this pumpkin gnocchi recipe.

Ironically, the recipe called for one whole can of pumpkin, defeating my purpose of using the half can I had. I guess I could have halved it, but I had a feeling I would be using it for more than one meal!

I was right.

My husband and I both loved it and made it two days in a row. See, you can make the dough and refrigerate it for a couple days, which was perfect for me since I only cook for two. It was super-easy and really fun. My hubby and I made it together. :) I love using pumpkin and although the gnocchi was the bulk of the dish--I couldn't get over the wonderful combination of the butter, fresh sage and garlic!

Please enjoy this recipe, originating from Italian Food Forever.

Pumpkin Gnocchi With Sage Butter

From: Italian Food Forever

Notes:

Be careful not to overwork or overknead the dough; you simply want to incorporate the flour into the pumpkin puree

Ingredients:

• 1 (15 oz.) Can Pumpkin Puree (drain excess water)
• Salt & Pepper
• Dash Of Nutmeg
• 2 3/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1/3 Cup Melted Butter (the second time I made this I did half butter/half olive oil)
  
• 6-7 Finely Chopped Sage Leaves
• 1 Large Clove Garlic, Minced (I used store bought, minced)
  
• Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

1. Mix together the flour, pumpkin and seasonings to make a soft dough.
2. Add additional flour if the dough is sticky or does not hold together.
3. Divide the dough into 6 parts, and on a lightly floured surface, roll each piece into a rope about 1 inch in diameter.
4. Cut the rope into 1 inch pieces and roll each lightly along the floured surface.
5. Continue using up all the dough in this fashion. Place on a lightly floured baking sheet. You can refrigerate the gnocchi until you are ready to cook them.

Sauce:

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a slow boil.
2. Place the butter in a small saucepan and heat.
3. Add the garlic and sage.
4. Cook the gnocchi in lightly salted boiling water for until the gnocchi rise to the surface and float.
5. Remove from the water, mix with the butter sage sauce, and serve topped with the freshly grated cheese.

Other bloggers who have tried this recipe:
Cookography & I'm Right About Everything

Truly Flattered

My favorite cupcake blog, Cupcakes Takes the Cake, picked up my review of Disneyland Cupcakes!

Check it out here.
And seriously, no seriously, if you love cupcakes you will love their blog!

Tuesdays with Dorie - Pumpkin Muffins

Fall is here, that's for sure. I've officially begun fall baking and love it. I mean, really, how could I not with ingredients like cinnamon, nutmeg and pumpkin! This week's Tuesday with Dorie recipe was chosen by Kelly of Sounding My Barbaric Gulp. You can find the yummy Pumpkin Muffins recipe on her blog or on page 13 of "Baking: From My Home to Yours" by Dorie Greenspan.

The 411: I like these, and here are my thoughts...laid out for you in no particular order in bullets. Have I mentioned how much I love bullets? I use them at work like no tomorrow.

* Add chocolate chips, possibly a mix of regular and white
* Keep the pecans, i love these type of nuts
* I baked them for 18 minutes and they turned out perfectly
* For some strange reason all the nuts and golden raisins went to the bottom, top and sides? Anyone know why?
* The pumpkin taste was way more subtle then i thought it would be
* I thought the moistness was perfect
* I would use more spices...probably double
* I love buttermilk. I used some from the BYU creamery and it was amazing

So...I liked these pumpkin muffins but will probably be using it for a base if I make it again, but only if I make adjustments.

Cupcakes at Disneyland!

Yes, you read the title right!
Not only did I visit the Happiest Place on Earth this weekend...
but Disneyland now serves cupcakes!

Such a pleasant surprise.

Before you look further.
Here are the details for these Disneyland cupcakes.

Flavors: Red Magic (red velvet), lemon, strawberry, chocolate, vanilla and pumpkin holiday spice.
Price: $2.50 - $4.00
Available in various degrees/sizes: Cupcake, Fancy Cupcake and Supreme/Holiday Cupcake
Available at most Disneyland bakeries, including Mainstreet USA's Candy Palace and Candy Kitchen and Downtown Disney's Marceline's Confectionery.

I tried the strawberry
I'm not going to lie and tell you it tasted amazing.
I'd say tier three grocery store quality.
I asked a couple employees and most said they started carrying cupcakes a few months back.
and eh hem...they ship them in.

But let's remember the silver lining:

The cupcakes are as cute as a button and fit right into the magic that is Disneyland.
I'd like to say Disneyland is now complete.

A Halloween Blog Party

Sweet Cuppin' Cakes Bakery and Supplies is hosting a Halloween Blog Party today!

I brought my favorite Halloween book by Jerry Seinfeld!
It's wonderful, glorious and my hubby and I received it as an engagement gift!
(a true friend knows our love for the Jerry!)
I read it every Halloween.
...boo!

My Anti-Wrinkle Movement

Tahitian Noni's TePoema Skin Renovation Cream
All part of my "I'm 25 now and don't want to be a prune" mentality.
I use this with other TePoema line members daily!

...this and the Youth Restore Serum are my favorites!

Wilton Cupcake Pedestals

Zurchers is becoming just as dangerous as Williams-Sonoma.
Eh hem...Wilton's Cupcake Pedestals
Just got them in a pack of four...
Woohooo!

The possibilities are endless, really!

Eliza Jumel Room - Morris Jumel Mansion

Eliza Jumel Room at the Morris-Jumel Mansion.
This was by far my favorite room in the Morris-Jumel Mansion.
I could stare at it for hours, and well...I did when I volunteered there.

You've heard me mention plans for a future baby girl's room.
This room is my inspiration.

Madame Eliza Jumel's bedchamber, redecorated in the 1830's, features a bed Madame Jumel claimed had belonged to Napoleon Bonaparte. The site, located in Roger Morris Park, is owned by the City of New York.
65 Jumel Terrace at 160th Street New York, NY

Photograph by Madeleine Doering Isom, scanned from postcard purchased at the museum

WINNER - Cupcake Tree Give-a-way of Goodness

Congratulations, Promoted Princess! You've just won Project Domestication's 6-month blogiversary give-a-way of goodness!

Random.org generated your name so email me at projectdomestication at gmail dot com and I'll send you your loverly Wilton Cupcake Stand soon.

Pumpkin Bread Bowls - Provo Bakery

i love fall.
i love provo bakery.
i love bread bowls.
i love when provo bakery makes pumpkin bread bowls in the fall.
win-win-win.

yumm....

International House, New York

"That Brotherhood May Prevail"

I finally got around to framing this sketch of where I lived in New York City.
It's the International House at Columbia.
The I-House was our home, our haven and will forever be a welcomed site.
It's located at 500 Riverside Drive, New York, NY
If you're ordering Manhattan's awesome Chinese takeout, make sure you give the back entrance address...
but that's a whole other story in itself. (yes, i got chewed out in Chinese)

The International House opened in 1924, it was an experiment in multinational human relations. 500 graduate students, one third from the United States and two thirds from almost 100 countries live together. My husband and I were fortunate to get in and are so grateful for BYU's relationship with them. The Upper West Side of Manhattan is gorgeous. In its 60 year history, the I-House has served over 50,000 students from around the world. Many former residents became leaders in the government or in the educational and cultural institutions of their countries.

Sprinkles Pumpkin Cupcake Mix

I really really want to buy and try both the Sprinkles Pumpkin cupcake mix and these Halloween silicon cups from William-Sonoma.
So far I've managed to have the discipline to just look at them
...and not purchase them on about seven shopping trips.
Impressed?

photos via my cell:)

I easily forget...

...that my weekends used to be filled with these.
And the picture is even missing a few.
geesh.
come back to me, nyc.

Malted Chocolate Chipe Cupcakes - Revisited

Remember these cupcakes?
Thought I'd give you a look inside!
They were sure yummy.
I'd love to make them again.
But then I realize there are like 40 other recipes...
from the same cupcake cookbook that I want to try.

Here's another shot of the batch on my Flickr page

LaVell's Vanilla

You can never go wrong with this flavor.
LaVell's Vanilla is by far one of my favorite vanilla ice creams on Earth.
maybe it's the nostalgia of living at the dorms?
maybe it's because LaVell himself is so amazing?
maybe it's the fact that BYU Creamery puts 2-4 percent more butterfat in theirs compared to other brands.
...either way i love my LaVell's Vanilla!

p.s. you'll remember i used it here!

The Three Velveteers

Ever wondered wanted to experiment with the color of the traditional red velvet cupcake? I have. And after an all out blow out from my alma mater, I wanted to make BYU blue velvet cupcakes for a get together.

So thus began the journey I like to call "The Three Velveteers."

I started out with my no-fail red velvet cupcake recipe that I know and love. The only thing I had to change was the food coloring. So I did.

I added a more-than-generous amount of Wilton's Royal Blue food paste. The buttermilk liquid was solid blue. I was so excited.

Then, then I added it to the dry rest of the ingredients. It was army green! What! "What just happened here?" So I added a bit more blue into the entire mixture. Nothing. Nothing at all. I've been having lots of issues with that darn blue, recently. But I'm not as frustrated as you may think. It's the cocoa, obviously that is caused this problem. So after I got over the fact that I wouldn't be making victory cupcakes I decided to play around with the next two batches.

I then grabbed my cake decorating tool box and got my purple dye. Eh hum...this was another flop. And I thought for sure this would work out since So Cupcake, a local cupcakery in Utah does purple velvet. Apparently I don't have their secret. After that I stuck with red, thinking that the cupcake gods would allow me to make a batch that would actually turn out the way I imagined.

Hungry Girl Onion Rings

I'm a sucker for onion rings. So when I heard Lisa from Hungry Girl had a recipe for some healthy onion rings I had to try it.

Verdict? Awesome.

Here's the deal. They are perfect for a different snack that will make you feel full (it's got Fiber One in it!) and fix that craving for this deep-fried treat.

I won't lie and tell you it tastes just like restaurant onion rings. (Cause it shouldn't) And I will tell you it takes more time than I'd hoped. I'll also tell you to try it and that I will make them again. I made my own fry sauce with lite mayo, ketchup and chili powder like HG suggested.

Check out Hungry Girl's recipe here. Let me know what you think!

Related Post:
Hungry Girl

Tuesdays with Dorie - Carmel-Peanut-Topped Brownie Cake

All's I'm sayin' is I finally conquered the beast that is caramel.

Only few know the true struggle I've had making caramel topping this year. In fact I was quoted saying, "I love caramel so much, why does it have to hate me?"

I liked this cake but it came out a bit dry. I cooked it for 45 minutes and would probably do it for 40 next time as well as cook the caramel a little bit less too. I'd also slab some vanilla ice cream on the side.

Check out the other TWD blogger's and find the recipe on Wee Treats by Tammy.

Future TWD Recipes:
Oct 14- Lenox Almond Biscotti
Oct 21- Pumpkin Muffins
Oct 28- Chocolate-Chocolate Cupcakes

If you are thinking about joining, the group is capping on Oct 31, so join soon! You won't regret it and we will bake together for years! Seriously, years.

Teddy Bear Cookie Cutters

Last weekend I went to a wonderfully themed baby shower.
My favorite treat (of the many) were teddy bear-shaped sugar cookies.
They were perfectly baked, iced with baby blue frosting and a perfect dash of sugar on top.
So simple. So delightful.

Photo: Wilton Teddy Bear Nesting Perimeter Cutter Set

Antique Standing Mixer

While in Houston, I visited the little town of Brenham, home of Blue Bell Ice Cream. You'd think I'd be posting about my visit to the production factory but not now, my thoughts are on this little mixer pictured above.

Brenham is quite the quaint little town and absolutely filled with antique shops. I spent hours in them, particularly the Country Co-op Antique Store. I was on the hunt for a unique cake stand (that I never did find) and while on the search, I found this: an old Hamilton Beach standing mixer.

I didn't buy it. But sort of wished I would of, cause I can't get it off my mind. I'm not sure what I would do with it. Probably display it in a future large and beautiful cabinet in a dining room (cross my fingers) or possibly a unique area in a future kitchen. But as of now, I have no use. I'm just glad I took pictures. With each look, I can't help but picture some housewife, hair perfectly done, makeup on, mixing up something splendid treat for her four well-behaved children and hardworking husband. Maybe this was true, maybe not. But I'll pretend and maybe next time when I find a piece like this I'll take it home.

Happy Baking.

the haunted house - philosophy

Now this is the type of haunted house I'll visit again and again.

This Haunted House trio by Philosophy has made me even more excited for Halloween/fall. Here's the line up:

* Caramel Apple
* Pumpkin Spice
* Black Licorice

All can be used as a shampoo, shower gel & bubble bath.

My favorite so far?

It's hard to tell. Close tie between pumpkin spice and black licorice.
You can find it at Sephora.